


don't be afraid of tomorrow

by bombshellbrunette



Category: Bleach
Genre: Angst, Eventual Smut, F/M, Mentioned Character Death, REALLY slow, Slow Burn, blink and you'll miss it urahara/yoruichi, crossposted from ffnet, minor character death onscreen, ok pls just read this on ffnet, this is mostly ulquihime the other couples are side, this sounds really sad and spoiler it kinda is
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-08-19 22:46:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 32,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16543763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bombshellbrunette/pseuds/bombshellbrunette
Summary: In the wake of the Winter War, Orihime Inoue and her friends have settled back into their old lives in Karakura High. But when Orihime begins to have strange visions of Las Noches and a string of vicious attacks marked by her old jailer's trademark occur in Karakura Town, she begins to wonder whether Ulquiorra is to blame… and whether she can save him.





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> CROSSPOSTED FROM FFNET!! (you can find me at blackberri there, drop a review if you'd like)  
> helloooo! so this is not only my first story on this account, but also my first attempt at writing bleach fanfiction. this is solidly ulquihime, so if you're not into that sort of thing, i would not recommend this story to you! this first chapter is rather short, but keep in mind that it is just a prologue. the official first chapter should be out by next week.
> 
> for now, happy reading!
> 
> -millie

It was always cold in Hueco Mundo, and harsh, frigid winds blew unrelentingly, disrupting the desolate stillness of the desert. Las Noches stood in its midst, thick columns surrounding the long palace. It was as white as snow, and its domed roof was not unlike the top of a mountain; its atmosphere was freezing and stale, almost suffocating in its emptiness. It was terrifying to behold.

It was not surprising, therefore, that each member of the motley crew from Soul Society who had taken Las Noches by storm during the Winter War preferred not to think of it upon their return to Karakura Town. In comparison to the strange solitude of Hueco Mundo's desert, home felt comfortingly familiar. They were all still reeling from their experiences, but the reintegration into their old lives was surprisingly easy. For the most part, Ichigo and his friends had escaped mentally unscathed – all except for one.

Mere weeks after her miraculous return, Orihime Inoue was back to acting exactly the same as she had before the war had transpired: always cheerful and extremely friendly to those around her. To those who really knew her, however, it was obvious that something – although one would be hard pressed to pinpoint exactly what – was different about her.

Among her closest friends, the one who felt this change most keenly was Tatsuki Arisawa. It seemed that following her best friend's sudden disappearance and the subsequent disappearances of Ichigo, Kuchiki-san, Sado, and Ishida, Tatsuki had missed something vital. It wasn't the explanation. In fact, shortly after the group's reappearance in Karakura Town, Ichigo and co had recounted to her the story of Orihime's retrieval. Each described the battles they had waged against the Arrancars throughout the Winter War, which had reached a boiling point when Ichigo was forced to go up against the cuarto Espada.

"That guy…" Ichigo had said, quietly. "His reiatsu was ridiculously high, and he had two sword releases. If Inoue didn't cheer me on, I definitely would've died. It was only because of my inner Hollow that I won, but… in the end, he was the one who snapped me out of it. Without him, I probably would've killed Ishida and Inoue with no hesitation." He sighed, running his hand through his hair. "It was too late to do anything for him, my inner Hollow had beaten him so badly. He asked me to kill him, but… he died on his own, crumbled into ash."

Orihime, who had said next to nothing throughout the discussion, flinched noticeably. It was then that Tatsuki realized what she had missed – or, to be more precise, who she had missed. Ulquiorra Schiffer, Espada numero Quatro.

At first, she thought that the reason Orihime seemed so upset when he was mentioned was because she was afraid of him. It was the most reasonable explanation, seeing as he had kidnapped her and left her beloved Kurosaki-kun near death on several occasions. But as time went on, Tatsuki could see that it simply wasn't the case.

On the rare occasions when Orihime spoke about her time in captivity, she recalled Ulquiorra almost reverently. A strange expression would settle on her face, strikingly serious in comparison to her usually cheerful demeanor. The only word Tatsuki could think of that accurately captured its depth was despair.

If one thing was for certain, it was that the Cuatro had made a profound impact on her friend. Tatsuki herself didn't understand why – she had encountered him once in the park, flanked by the behemoth Diez Espada, Yammy, and he had been callous and cold, addressing her and Orihime as trash (she still wanted to rip him a new one for that comment, but that was beside the point.) She couldn't say she was sad to see him gone, especially in light of his treatment of her friends, but clearly Orihime was.

Was it Stockholm Syndrome? Guilt? Simple pity? Tatsuki didn't know. But no matter what it was, it was wounding Orihime deeply, despite her best efforts to conceal her pain. There were deep bags under her eyes from lack of sleep, and her tendency towards babbling and nervous laughter had increased tenfold, something Tatsuki didn't even think was possible. And, although she still addressed Ichigo as Kurosaki-kun, it lacked the adoration it had previously possessed. There were no more longing glances directed at him and Kuchiki-san, no more brilliant blushes, and no more rapidfire stuttering. She looked at him the same way she looked at her other friends, betraying none of her previous romantic affection towards him. There was also a wistfulness about her, not altering her effervescent nature, but underlying it. Tatsuki wondered if it was for her time in Las Noches, under the cuarto's guard.

As much as Tatsuki was aware of Orihime's sadness, she was also aware that there was no way to remedy it. Ulquiorra Schiffer was dead, disintegrated into ash after going head to head with Ichigo's hollow. Tatsuki could kill a fully grown man with five well placed kicks, could outrun the anyone, could climb the highest mountain… but she couldn't resurrect the dead.

Luckily for Tatsuki, although she didn't know it quite yet, she wouldn't have to. For the first time in her life, someone had beaten her to the punch.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i haven't decided whether to post them all at once or space them out but i feel bad only having the prologue up so,, have a real chapter?

_Outside of Karakura High, approximately three pm_

In spite of the changes she had experienced, life in Karakura Town continued as normal for Orihime Inoue and her friends after the conclusion of the Winter War. Spring had finally set in, and with it came studying for exams and the usual excitement for the fast-approaching summer vacation.

It was a surprisingly cool day for late April, and Orihime shivered under her thin sweater. Although she usually walked home with Tatsuki-chan, today she was alone, as her best friend had sports practice and Orihime had a mountain-load of homework awaiting her at home. After a treacherous walk, made even more terrible after she walked headfirst into a lampost, Orihime let herself into her apartment, collapsing onto a cushion with a long-suffering sigh. Usually she wasn't quite so clumsy and distracted, but something had been bothering her lately––her energy felt drained, and she had difficulty concentrating when she had previously found it to be easy. Shaking off all thoughts of her mysterious ailment, Orihime pumped her fist in the air enthusiastically.

"Alright!" she resolved, scrambling to her feet. "I'm gonna catch up! I can definitely do this… these problems are nothing!"

Pencil in hand, she sat down and bent over the pile of homework, setting out to complete both some of her missed work and the assignments due the next day before the onset of evening.

+

_A remote corner in Karakura Town, approximately eleven pm_

It was irresponsible to walk alone at such a late hour, but Aiko Hirabayashi didn't care. She had been wandering around for hours, and her phone had long since died. She didn't have anyone to contact, anyway, not safely. She knew she should have studied longer for her math test, but her friends had wanted to go shopping, and then karaoke, and then dinner, and she had gotten caught up in all the excitement.

When she arrived home it was almost eight in the evening, and she had to finish her homework, relegating studying for even later. Eventually, after two hours of assignments, she had gotten around to it, but the attempt was halfhearted at best, and her sleepy memorization of vital theorems was certainly not enough to get her through the challenging test she had taken. Although she did her best, Aiko was positive that she had failed, her first bad grade of the entire year. Her parents would be so disappointed in her. In fact, they'd probably already received a call from the school informing them about her terrible score. If she went home, she would face the wrath and disappointment of her parents, and the mocking of her siblings. She couldn't stand it.

Since the sun had set, the darkness had bled from comfortable to bone-chillingly cold, and Aiko found herself feeling disconcerted. She had never stayed out so late by herself before, and she was beginning to realize why she never had before. The night had made her feel worse instead of better, and her worries only grew the more she walked around town.

Passing by a convenience store lit only by the dim glow of a forlorn lamp post, Aiko heard rustling behind her, accompanied by the sound of heavy footsteps. She turned suddenly, only to see an employee sweeping the storefront, wrapping up his shift.

Shivering, Aiko looked up at the ink black sky, and decided that even her family's humiliation and anger was preferable to being scared out of her mind, alone, and freezing to boot. She began to trudge in the direction of her modest apartment block, hands shoved deep in her pockets.

Aiko wasn't sure how she had ended up so far away from home, but the walk was considerable, and her anxiety mounted with every turn she took. While she had initially gone in the right direction, somewhere along the line she had gotten muddled up, and she was hopelessly lost. She could see almost nothing, lacking the glow of the lamp posts that had previously guided her. Her heart raced and her legs trembled as she wandered, her movements becoming more and more frantic the further she walked. It seemed that even as she doubled back her surroundings were impossibly unfamiliar, the darkness growing ever harsher. Finally, Aiko sank down on her knees and began to cry.

"It's hopeless," she sobbed, hands fisted at her eyes, "and it's so cold, and it's so late, and my mom and dad are gonna kill me, and I just WANNA GO HOME!"

She continued to cry into her hands, shoulders heaving with the force of her harsh breaths. After a few minutes, she rose shakily to her feet. She needed to be calm about this if she was going to get home at all. She needed to think rationally. She needed…

Aiko's train of thought was interrupted by a strange, disjointed noise, almost like the sound of radio static. She turned around, and saw standing before her a pale figure dressed in a white uniform. Its eyes were the brightest green she had ever seen, but they were not vibrant… No, they looked completely empty, devoid of life or feeling.

Even though she had at first been comforted by the sight of another person in the oppressive dark, Aiko felt the urge to run as far away as she could when she caught sight of those cold, dead eyes.

As the figure approached, Aiko scrambled to her feet, hands skidding against the rough concrete. She backed up, her legs trembling violently as the figure drew ever near, heartbeat pounding painfully in her head.

As suddenly as it had appeared, the figure stopped walking, pausing mere feet from Aiko. Its features were masked in darkness, but those green eyes were visible, bright as emeralds in the otherwise bleak night.

"W-what do you want from me?" she asked desperately, wiping her sweaty palms on the fabric of her skirt. "I don't h-have any money or anything, I don't have any jewelry… Um, y-you're not gonna find anything, uh, valuable on me. J-j-just let me go home, please, I want to go home!"

The figure blinked out of existence and appeared directly in front of her, moving faster than anything Aiko had ever seen before.

It was a man, she realized, with tar black tear tracks running from his eyes down his pale face. His lips were set in a firm line, black as his facial markings, unwavering as his callous green eyes. He was not a behemoth figure, but he exuded a thick, heavy pressure, and it pushed heavily on Aiko's body, forcing her to her knees. Aiko was shivering so intensely that she struggled to stay still, and she panted heavily, head throbbing. Her eyelids began to droop, vision blurring, her surroundings becoming increasingly difficult to make out.

The figure stepped closer one last time, green eyes clear even as she was losing consciousness, and reached for her heaving chest.

+

_A block of apartments in Karakura Town, approximately seven am_

It was a quiet morning, and the birds sat nestled atop the newly green trees, primping their beautiful feathers. A middle aged woman stepped out onto the stoop of a modest apartment building, dressed in a tatty yellow dressing gown, sweatpants, and scuffed sandals. As she bent down to retrieve the morning paper, her eyes flicked to the road, and spotted a crumpled black mound right off the pavement.

Concerned, she placed the paper back onto the welcome mat, and walked over to the side of the road to inspect the black lump. Crouching down, she rolled it onto its front, and retched at the sight of it.

Twenty minutes and a frantic police call later, the woman sat down on her steps, watching the policeman swarm the scene in a sea of blue and red lights. Another woman came rushing out of the neighboring block, pajamas still creased with sleep. She jogged towards the chief of police, who was leaning heavily against his car, eyes downcast.

"Why'd you come to fetch me?" asked Mitsuko Hirabayashi, hands planted on her hips. "Have you found my daughter? I'm worried out of my mind––when the school called and told me she had gotten top of her class in the last mathematics exam, I thought she would've come over immediately, but…" she paused, looking at the roped off area, at the covered stretcher. "No, no… You didn't… she's not…"

The police chief frowned heavily, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I am so sorry, Hirabayashi-san. Your daughter's body was found by a neighbor earlier this morning near the side of the road. We tried to resuscitate her, but… all attempts were unsuccessful."

Mitsuko had started crying the moment the chief touched her, but, through her sobs, managed to choke out, "W-what was the c-c-cause of d-death? "

The chief shook his head. "We don't really understand it ourselves, Hirabayashi-san. I'm afraid that it remains to be seen from further investigation. In the meantime, let me get you a blanket and some tea, you must be frightened and awfully confused…"

As he lead the grieving woman away from the scene, two junior officers stood off to the side, observing.

"You think she really believes that bullcrap about 'further investigation'?" one asked, shaking his head. "It's not right, lying to a parent like that. She deserves to know the truth."

The other scoffed. "What do you propose he do, then? Tell her that her daughter died because some sicko gouged a hole straight through her chest? How do you think she'd react, huh?"

The first shook his head, before shoving his hands deep into his pockets. "I guess not. This is nasty business, though. Never seen anything like it. It's almost…" he shuddered, shaking his head again. "It's almost inhuman, that's what it is."

+

_On a street in Karakura Town, approximately 8 am_

The walk to school seemed longer than usual, and Orihime struggled under the weight of her school bag, shoulders and back aching from being hunched over her desk almost all night. Although she had awoken in a hopeful mood, she was struggling to cling onto it as she trudged behind Tatsuki.

Staring intently at the ground, Orihime didn't notice when Tatsuki halted abruptly, and walked straight into the hard back of her best friend. "Ow," she whimpered, rubbing her head. Realizing what she had done, she gasped, and immediately launched into a long-winded apology. "Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to walk into you, I was just really distracted, ahahaha, because I stayed up all night working to finish my missing assignments, and––"

Interrupting her friend's ramble, Tatsuki said, "Don't worry about it, it was me who stopped. On that subject, though, do you know why are there so many people over there? And the police, too?"

Orihime followed Tatsuki's gaze, eyes finally landing on a usually quiet street that was now filled with a large crowd of citizens and policemen, all converging on a spot off the side of the road. "I don't know," she said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully, "maybe someone burned their house down when they were cooking! I know I've come close before, ahahaha…" Orihime trailed off, recalling her many harrowing oven experiences.

Tatsuki rolled her eyes fondly, and broke out into a quick jog in the direction of the scene. "Come on, Orihime, let's go see what's going on!" she yelled over her shoulder, not pausing to wait.

Orihime yelped, and scurried after her, eyes darting between the massive throng and the main road. "Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked nervously, trailing right behind Tatsuki. "We're going to be late for school, after all."

Tatsuki gave her an unimpressed look. "Come on, Orihime. When was the last time you saw police? This town could do with some excitement, and I wanna see what's going on!"

"I've seen enough excitement recently, I think," muttered Orihime under her breath, continuing after her best friend.

When they reached the outer fringes of the taped off area, Tatsuki strolled up to a police officer overlooking a thin packet. He looked up at her briefly before averting his eyes back to the paper, muttering, "This is a crime scene, and you can't go past the tape. Get lost, kid."

Tatsuki, flashing him her brightest smile, said, "I was just wondering what happened, officer. After all, I need to be able to defend myself if there are any criminals or perverts in the area. I can definitely fight 'em off," she assured him, puffing up her chest proudly, "but I need to know who the enemy is before I kick their ass."

The officer looked up again, chuckling. "We don't even know whether it was a human or an animal yet, so cool your jets. If you're worried about getting attacked, just don't stay out late at night and stay away from sketchy neighborhoods. Those are some pretty basic precautions any high school girl should take after an attack like this."

Tatsuki furrowed her brows. "So there was an attack! What happened? Is the, uh… Is the victim in the hospital? I didn't see any ambulances when I looked…"

Orihime, who was standing slightly behind Tatsuki, scanned the surrounding area. There was no ambulance to be seen, Tatsuki had been right about that. Near the side of the road, however, a bunch of people were crowded around a long black bag. Policemen surrounded it protectively, partially obscuring it from Orihime's view. Swallowing back nausea, Orihime realized it was a bodybag.

"Tatsuki-chan," she whispered, tugging at her friend's school sweater. "I think the victim is over there." She nodded her head in the direction of the bag.

"Oh," said Tatsuki, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth. "I didn't…"

The officer interrupted her with a shake of his head. "Don't worry about it. We're gonna find out what caused it soon enough. Head along to school, now, and forget about this whole mess. It's already almost eight thirty."

Tatsuki nodded reluctantly, shoving her hands in her pockets and walking away, lacking the usual pep in her step.

Orihime began to leave, but stopped to look back at the scene. She brought her hand up to her hairclips, fingering the Shun Shun Rikka softly. "Do you think…?" she hesitated, but pressed on, "Do you think I could 'reject' whatever caused them to die?"

Tatsuki looked at her sympathetically. "'Hime, you told me that you haven't been able to do that since you got back from Hueco Mundo. I don't think it would do any good even if you tried."

Orihime sighed, burying her face in her hands. "I know, I just that I can't help but wonder why I even have this power if I can't do anything with it. I can't protect  _anyone_  – this person is dead forever now because I can't help them, just like Sora, and…"

_And just like that Ulquiorra guy too,_  Tatsuki finished internally. "Look," she said aloud, wrapping a toned arm around Orihime's slender shoulders. "It's certainly not your fault that the Shun Shun Rikka aren't working. After all, you did revive Ichigo's lame ass like three times in Hueco Mundo. If they're exhausted, it's because you worked so hard trying to protect everyone that they want to give your body a break. Don't blame yourself, though; you didn't kill her, some creeper did. Let's just go to school, and wait for the police to figure some more stuff out, and then maybe we can visit the family later to try and help, if you want."

Orihime nodded gratefully. "Yeah, that's a really good idea. Thanks, Tatsuki-chan, I – I really needed that." Checking her watch, she shook her head and laughed. "We are gonna be  _so_  late to school."

Tatsuki groaned, untangling herself from her best friend. "Crap! I've already been late like five times this month! I'm gonna be in so much trouble! Come on, let's go!" She took off in the direction of the school, leaving the less athletically inclined Orihime in her wake.

Clumsily, Orihime chased after her, shouting for Tatsuki to wait for me!, beaming in spite of her difficulty. Maybe today isn't gonna be so bad after all, she thought to herself. I'm gonna do all I can to help out with the investigation, like Tatsuki said, even without my Shun Shun Rikka's help. Maybe I'm not useless after all!

From above, a pair of steely green eyes observed her, eyes trained on her running figure.

_I can be helpful_ , Orihime thought determinedly, speeding up in her sprint to school.  _I know I can._


	3. Chapter 3

_Karakura High, approximately eight thirty am_

Despite having taken a disturbing detour, the two girls managed to make it to school on time, although just barely. Tatsuki slid into her seat right as the final bell rang, and Orihime, panting from chasing after her athletic friend, followed several seconds later. The teacher looked at the pair disapprovingly before beginning roll call. As her attention was turned away from the new arrivals, Tatsuki swiveled around to face Orihime directly.

"Who do you think it was?" she asked, resting her chin on her steepled fingers. "I just realized we never really asked. Although, now that I think about it, I guess it would have been a little insensitive if we had…" her voice trailed off.

"I don't know," replied Orihime, frowning gently. "We'll have to ask when we go back. I hope their family is okay… This kind of loss is really hard if you don't have anyone supporting you."

Tatsuki looked at her in concern, registering the downcast look on Orihime's face, before saying, "Hey, c'mon. I'm sure that there are tons of people looking out for them. Besides, we're gonna see what we can do later, right? If you're helping them out, they're gonna be just fine. After all, it's always better to hear from someone with actual experience, right?".

Orihime smiled. "Yeah, I guess. Although after Sora-nii died, the person who helped me the most was you, Tatsuki-chan, and you didn't have any experience–"

Their conversation was interrupted by a loud crashing noise from the classroom's door. The source of the disturbance was, unsurprisingly, a familiar one. Ichigo Kurosaki, school uniform in a sorry state, had fallen straight through the opened doorway and ended up sprawled across the floor. Immediately afterwards, Rukia Kuchiki stood behind him, laughing maniacally at the sight of her friend in such an undignified state.

Ishida stifled a laugh, but managed to maintain his composed facade from his position in the front of the room. Asano was not so lucky, and burst into boisterous laughter, causing most of the other students in the class to snicker as well.

The teacher's brow twitched, and she said in a strained voice, "Would Kurosaki-san and Kuchiki-san mind escorting themselves to their seats so we can begin the lesson at last?"

The two guilty parties apologized, before slinking to their rightful places so the lesson could finally begin.

+

_Karakura High, approximately twelve twenty five pm_

Orihime sighed and buried her face in her hands. From the scary sight she had witnessed before school to her inexplicable lethargy, getting through an hour of precalculus was more laborious than usual, in spite of her considerable intelligence. She couldn't wait for lunch hour––at least then she'd be able to relax and tell her friends what she'd seen, and maybe feel a little less unsettled by the whole thing.

Although she was barely paying attention, she was alert enough to notice a brief lapse in her teacher's droning. She looked up to see a short, balding man whispering intently in her ear. Curious, she looked around and met eyes with Ichigo, who was sitting several seats to her left. He shrugged at her, clearly just as unaware as she was.

_Maybe it's her husband, on leave from the great robot war,_ she speculated to herself, giggling under her breath at the mental image of such an unimpressive man ensconced within a gigantic robot.

The teacher cleared her throat. "I know you have lunch hour in a few minutes and I'm going to let you go as soon as possible, but I've just been informed that something terrible has taken place. Hirabayashi Aiko-san, in the year below yours, was found dead this morning."

Murmurs circulated throughout the classroom, some students displaying signs of recognition and others simply of fear or sadness.

Tatsuki looked over her shoulder at Orihime, who had been pulled out of her daydream by the news. So that was who we found, she thought to herself. Although she had never met Hirabayashi-san, she vaguely recognized the name––she was at the top of the freshman class, supposedly a mathematical genius with many academic accolades. She couldn't imagine that sort of girl getting into any trouble with older guys or gangsters, so it was surprising that she was the unfortunate victim. There wasn't usually anything more sinister than that in Karakura Town, at least nothing that would involve a random civilian.

"I've been asked to warn all of you to not stay out too late... Apparently, she was seen by a convenience store worker at about eleven thirty last night, walking by herself. Don't be too worried, but no culprit has been identified yet, so it would probably be wise to return home at an earlier time," the teacher continued. Looking down at her watch, she sighed. "Alright, class dismissed. I expect you all back here at one fifteen on the dot. No more tardiness, Kurosaki-san and Kuchiki-san!"

Orihime quickly gathered her things in her bag and joined the other students clearing out of the classroom, falling into step behind Tatsuki as they proceeded to their normal lunch hangout spot.

Once they reached the roof, she sat down and took out her lunch box, unfolding a napkin and laying her barbequed strawberries and orange flavored rice out on the checkered cloth. Tatsuki went slightly green at the strange combination but laid out her more normal lunch as well, waiting for the rest of their group to join them.

As if on cue, Ichigo and Rukia burst through the doors yelling incomprehensibly at each other, followed by Ishida, Sado, Asano, Kojima, and an over-enthusiastic as usual Chizuru.

"HIIIIMEEEE!" the redhead shrieked, launching herself at Orihime. Tatsuki shoved her off right before she could grab the object of her affections, launching the two into a familiar argument as the calmer members of the group settled around them.

After the argument had died down and they began to eat their lunch, Ishida addressed the group seriously. "What do you think happened to that girl who died? It's strange that someone like her was killed, isn't it? She doesn't exactly fit the profile…"

Orihime nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's what I was thinking too! Tatsuki-chan and I saw a bunch of police around her house this morning, which is why we were almost late. I wanted to…" to help her with my Rikka, like I did to Kurosaki-kun, she finished mentally, realizing that not everyone would grasp what she was talking about. "Well, anyways, there were more than I've ever seen before, even more than when that little girl got killed a few years ago."

Ichigo, attention diverted from his endless argument with Rukia, added, "I saw that too. I would've stopped but I overslept–" he glared at Rukia for a moment, before continuing, "-and I really didn't want to be late for school. I wonder what happened that made it such a big deal."

Asano made a face. "This whole thing is a real downer! She probably just got involved with the government, and they had to get rid of her to cover up some alien–ow!" he flinched as he got hit by Rukia and Tatsuki simultaneously. "Okay, okay! Sheesh, it was just a theory, relax!"

Tatsuki huffed, rolling her eyes. "Stop being so insensitive and you won't get hit, Asano." She paused for a moment, before saying, "Yeah... There were a lot of people there, too. Now that I think about it, I think I even saw the police chief! I know there was a murder, but it's not all that unusual here, right? Do they normally attract so much attention?"

Rukia nodded vigorously, and stood suddenly to her feet. "I hear the call of friendship ringing out!" she declared, planting her hands firmly on her hips. "Come along, Ichigo, Sado, we must further strengthen our bonds of camaraderie!"

With that, she grabbed a stuttering Ichigo to his feet, and dragged him off the roof onto the staircase leading down to the lower floors of the building. Sado followed reluctantly, bending down to fit through the doorway.

"Jeez, that Kuchiki-san," said Kojima. "Even if I didn't prefer older women, that one's a handful. I feel bad for Ichigo." Immediately he looked up at Orihime, for fear of having upset her. To his surprise, she only laughed, all the while eating her repulsive meal.

Ishida rose to his feet and said loudly, "I think Orihime and I have to have a meeting about the Handicrafts Club. Official meeting, sorry guys; members only."

Orihime gathered her things and trailed after Ishida, shutting the door quietly behind her after they had both passed through the doorway.

Ichigo and Rukia were conversing intently, serious expressions on both their faces. Ishida sat down next to them while Orihime hovered awkwardly beside him, hand resting lightly on the railing.

She always felt like the odd man out, no matter how much her friends tried to get her involved in things. Even though she had mostly gotten over her obsession with Ichigo, she still lamented the fact that he and the others never really looked at her. Even Tatsuki, the person who knew her best in the whole world, didn't see her as she truly was. There was only one person who saw through her facade and confronted her about it, forcing her to give it up if only for a moment. But the circumstances of that person's death and her involvement in it were things Orihime refused to think about on principle. Maybe it was selfish, but it was easier to forget than to relive touching his trembling fingers as they disintegrated into ash…

"Inoue-san? What do you think?" asked Ishida, cutting off Orihime's train of thought.

"Sorry Ishida-kun, I was daydreaming again, ahahaha," she laughed sheepishly, finally sitting down next to her friends. "What were you saying?"

Ishida shook his head, bemused. "It's alright, Inoue-san, no big deal. I was just asking if anyone sensed reiatsu emanating from the body. Considering the interest in the murder, it's entirely possible that it was hollow-related and that there was significant mutilation of the corpse as a result. You know how they can be, after all. I'm not sure, but I think it might be worth investigating a little."

"Tatsuki and I were thinking about going back to visit the family to see if we could help with anything anyways. As long as it's not disrespectful or harmful to them, I agree that we should try to figure out what happened. After all, if there's a dangerous hollow, we should protect other civilians from it. I just wish I could do more, but..." Orihime trailed off guiltily.

Ichigo frowned, and said, "Inoue, it's not your fault that the Rikka aren't working. We'll figure it out what's going on with them and then you'll definitely get your powers back."

Rukia nodded, adding, "No one in Seireitei thinks any less of you for it, and neither does any of us, Orihime."

Orihime smiled gratefully at her friends. "Thanks, everyone. I'm sorry for being such a downer––I'll be my normal self soon enough, you'll see!" she pumped her fist for dramatic effect, her considerable bust bouncing at the action.

All three boys averted their eyes at the sight, their cheeks flaming red, whereas Rukia simply looked down at her own diminutive chest, eyeing the sizeable difference between them. Orihime smiled brightly, unaware of the effects her simple gesture had on her companions.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch period and disrupting the strange tension that had manifested in the air surrounding the small group.

"Do you want to meet after clubs end to talk more?" Orihime suggested, brushing off her skirt as she stood. "We can go to my apartment if you're hungry, I can make you all dinner."

"NO!" they all said at once, terrified at the prospect of eating a home prepared meal by Orihime.

"It's quite alright, Orihime," said Rukia a moment later. "I won't be hungry so soon after eating such a filling lunch. Let's meet at the Kurosaki clinic–" Ichigo almost objected at her offering his house up so casually, before realizing that he had been about to do the exact same thing "-so we can figure out how to go about our investigation."

"Okay," said Orihime, and the rest of the group sighed in relief. "Let's go––if we don't get back to class soon, the teacher will make us sit detention again."

They began to walk down the stairs just as the rest of their motley crew burst through the doorway, and soon they were surrounded by other students returning to class. Orihime was suddenly struck by a strange sensation, one that made the hairs on her neck inexplicably stand on end. She felt the full weight of someone's gaze fixed intently on her, and though it was not unusual in such a large crowd, she was unnerved. Looking around to find the culprit she saw only her classmates, absorbed in their own conversations. No one was looking at her.

_Guess it was nothing_ , she thought, before continuing on her way to her classroom. _After all, there are bigger things to deal with than my paranoia... right?_


	4. Chapter 4

_Kurosaki clinic, nine pm_

Orihime sat on the floor of Ichigo's room, hands folded demurely in her lap. It was so strange, being in her beloved Kurosaki-kun's home and not feeling anything as a result. Several months ago, the mere thought of such a thing would have elated her. She could recall exactly how her heart would pound and her face would redden, but now… zilch, not even vague excitement or nostalgia. She hadn't noticed that she was falling out of love until it had already happened, but there was something about the way he looked that had rubbed her the wrong way. It took her weeks to dispel the images of his Hollowfication from her mind completely, but in the days following the war's end they were almost ingrained in the forefront of her consciousness. The memories of Kurosaki-kun stabbing Ishida so savagely, of him ripping off that special person's arm… they were almost too painful to bear, and certainly irreconcilable with her childish crush.

Shaking away such depressing thoughts, Orihime looked down at her watch and frowned. The group had agreed to meet at quarter to nine, and so far the only ones to arrive had been Ichigo and Rukia, and they hardly counted because they lived in the clinic. They weren't even in Ichigo's bedroom with her – they had left about five minutes prior so they could go off in search of snacks, promising to return as soon as possible. Although she tried to remain as optimistic as possible, Orihime couldn't help but think that this was a perfect metaphor for her life... she shook her head vigorously, and declared, eyes squeezed shut, "Aaah, again with the sadness! Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts…"

Hearing a chuckle from across the room her eyes flew open, only to see Ishida, flanked by Sado, standing in the doorway. "Interrupting anything?" he said wryly, coming to sit next to her.

"Sorry, Ishida-kun, I guess that was a bit weird, ahahaha," said Orihime, cheeks flushing a deep red. _How embarrassing!_ she thought to herself. _At least Kurosaki-kun and Kuchiki-san didn't see anything, but still... sheesh._ Sado, silent as ever, cracked a smile at the sight.

As if on cue, Ichigo and Rukia burst through the door, squabbling as usual and clutching piles of junk food in their arms. They plunked themselves and their loot down across from Orihime, Ishida, and Sado, unofficially calling the meeting into session.

"I dropped by the station earlier today to try to get some details, but no one was very forthcoming," began Ishida. "I asked what had happened in order to get a description of what wounds were inflicted and all they told me was that it wasn't anything someone my age should be messing around with. Then they just sent me away and made me promise that I would go home early."

"Tatsuki-chan and I stopped by her house earlier, but no one was home," added Orihime. "We're going to go back tomorrow, but from what the police told you and from what we saw yesterday I'm fairly certain something unusual is going on. Maybe we should go see Urahara-san about it..?"

Rukia considered the idea, and then nodded. "Excellent plan, Orihime. If anybody knows about such strange matters, it would be Kisuke. When do you suggest we go?"

Ichigo shot her a look, before sighing and saying, "Tomorrow after school works for me. Maybe we can go after we visit the family's house."

Sado shook his head in agreement. "Works for me. Ishida?"

"Fine for me as well," said Ishida, gathering his schoolbag into his lap. "Forgive my abrupt departure, but my pre-calculus homework is calling to me. I'll see you all tomorrow at school, alright?"

Ichigo scrunched up his nose. "Ugh, homework. I'm surprised you didn't finish it before you arrived––growing stale in your old age, Ishida?"

Ishida pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose dramatically. "I could do my homework in my sleep and it'd still be better than yours, Ichigo."

Sado rolled his eyes and got to his feet. "Want me to walk you home, Orihime? It's not too far out of my way."

Orihime blinked, surprised. "Oh no, I'm perfectly fine by myself. Thank you, though, Sado-kun!"

The giant teen shrugged, and draped his school bag over his shoulder. "I'll see you all at school tomorrow, then. Have a nice night." With that, he exited the clinic and went on his way home. Ishida followed suit, flipping a cheeky salute to the others in the room before taking his leave.

The three that were left sat in silence for a few moments. Orihime felt so awkward around Ichigo and Rukia, because she couldn't decide whether she should apologize for having harbored feelings towards Ichigo in the past or be jealous of their relationship. In all honestly, the former was just irrational – why would Orihime have to apologize for intruding on a relationship that didn't even officially exist? Nonetheless, she felt guilty about having gotten even tenuously involved with them, and she _was_ jealous whether she wanted to be or not. Not of Rukia, because she really was over Ichigo, but of the love that was so obvious between them. Orihime had never experienced a love like that, and she desperately wanted to know what it felt like to give her all to someone and have them do the same for her. But however much she tried, it seemed as if she really was destined to be alone; how could you not be, when everyone you love dies?

Rukia looked at her in concern. "Are you alright, Orihime? You've gotten quite pale… Do you need one of us to walk you home, or do you need to see Ichigo's dad?"

Orihime, shaken out of her reverie, colored. "Oh, no! I'm sorry to have worried you, but I'm perfectly fine, hahaha. I think I'll be going, though, as it's getting quite late. I'll see you at school tomorrow, Kuchiki-san, Kurosaki-kun." She rose to her feet and dusted off the front of her skirt, bending over to grab her bag. Waving to the duo one last time, she left the room, and walked out onto the dusty road.

+

_A street in Karakura Town, approximately nine thirty pm_

Tamaki Suigetsu was running late. It was such a rare occurrence that someone so organized would lose track of time that Tamaki hadn't even considered how long it would take him to go grocery shopping, something that he later realized was a grave mistake. He was supposed to have been home an hour ago, and his father would surely be worried about his whereabouts if he didn't return at once. Ever since the loss of his mother two years ago, his father had been paranoid about losing him, too. Since Tamaki had no siblings and hardly any other relatives, he knew that if anything happened to him his father would have no one left. So he always put in the extra mile, tried extremely hard in school, and stayed on the right side of the law. This didn't ruin his teenage experience; he had several close friends, and was involved in some clubs that allowed him to interact with his classmates and have fun.

His father had asked him to pick up some groceries at home, and he had gotten caught up after band practice talking to his flute teacher about opportunities at university to continue his instruction. Nothing bad, of course; his father would understand the situation completely. Either way, Tamaki didn't like to make him worry, and therefore was taking shortcuts through the many alleyways crisscrossing Karakura Town in order to get to his apartment. It wasn't anything he hadn't done before, and as long as the sky stayed clear it would be a pleasant walk. It seemed, however, that neither the weather nor the the time were in Tamaki's favor, as it began to rain heavily about five minutes into the half-hour long journey.

"Damn," he muttered under his breath, lifting his sweater over his head to stop his hair from getting drenched. He would have to go onto the main road instead to avoid the brunt of the downpour, which would make the trip about ten minutes longer than it would have been otherwise. He turned onto Main Street instead of the alleyway to his left, and set out for home, walking briskly.

So fixated was Tamaki on getting home quickly that he didn't notice a short girl stepping out of the town's clinic, and strode straight into her path, knocking her and her bookbag onto the floor.

"I'm so sorry!" he cried, dropping to his knees to gather the spilled contents of her bookbag. It was just his luck; now not only would he be even more late, he would have to deal with the girl yelling at him. Swallowing, he stood and offered her back her now sodden belongings.

"No, don't worry about it! It was probably my fault, I can be so clumsy sometimes," said the girl, rising to her feet and scooping her things out of his arms. Looking him up and down, she said concernedly, "Oh my goodness, you're getting all wet! Do you want to borrow my umbrella? I only live about fifteen minutes from here, so I'll be okay without it."

Tamaki bit his lip. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, that would be great, thank you! You go to Karakura High, right? I can return it to you tomorrow morning." The girl smiled, and looked him straight in the face. Although her long, red hair was damp and she was wearing only the standard school uniform, Tamaki could tell that she was extraordinarily beautiful.

"Yeah, I do, actually. My name is Orihime Inoue, by the way. Sorry for not saying earlier, ahahaha… Uh, anyways, you can just deliver it to the front desk tomorrow morning and they'll give it back to me," said Orihime, holding out her umbrella.

"Awesome!" said Tamaki. He took the umbrella and looked down at his watch. "I have to go, but it was great talking to you. Thank you so much!" He began to walk down the road, taking long strides and unfurling the umbrella above his head.

Although he was happy to have gotten an umbrella and talked to a pretty girl in the process, the rain was becoming heavier, and he could barely make out where he was going in the darkness. It was hard to remain cheerful while alone in the middle of a thunderstorm, let alone in the dark and running late, and his good mood had long since dissipated. The streetlights were almost ghostly white, and were flickering on and off intermittently. _Probably because of the storm_ , thought Tamaki. _I hope the power isn't gonna go completely out…_ With that thought he quickened his pace. _Going by the time and the street sign, I'm probably only five minutes away_. _If I hurry up, I'll be there in two minutes!_

He broke out into a sprint, umbrella held under his arm as he ran through the soggy terrain, right onto the hill leading to his apartment block. He could see the lights of the individual apartments, shining through the storm like a beacon to a lost ship. He was so close… Suddenly, the remaining streetlights turned off. The lights in the distance were drowned in the swollen rain clouds, and thunder rumbled above. Tamaki, despite his proximity to safety, felt a chill run down his spine. Although he had no idea why, he had the feeling that someone was watching him. _But that's impossible,_ he thought begrudgingly. _I didn't see anyone nearby five minutes ago_. Lamenting his paranoia, he began to trudge up the hill again. But as much as he logically understood and admitted that no one could be there, he couldn't shake that uncanny feeling of being observed. There was a strange, heavy presence surrounding him – strange, but not entirely unfamiliar. In fact, weird as it was, he could've sworn that he had felt something similar recently, although when or where it originated from he couldn't say. Either way, it gave him the creeps, and he accelerated his pace to reach the top of the hill.

Finally, Tamaki stood right in front of his apartment block. He let out a sigh of relief, and was about to look in his bag for the keys when he felt a cold hand touch his wrist. Whirling around to face his harasser, he cried out, "Who's there?"

There was no one there. But Tamaki _knew_ that someone had touched his arm. He was not a believer in the supernatural, but there was no way that a human could move so fast that they could be directly behind someone one second and gone in the next. Shivering in fear, Tamaki turned back around to face the door and reached into his bag to fish for his wallet. He felt a rush of freezing air behind him and went weak at the knees. Unable to stand any longer, he fell on all fours, and let out hacking coughs. "What's happening to me?" he choked, throat constricted by a strange, asphyxiating pressure. A snow white figure blinked into view in front of him, too blurry to make out with his strained eyes. Tamaki was quickly losing consciousness, but he could still see the lights from his apartment building at the edge of his peripheral vision, just barely out of reach.

"Why are you… doing this… to me…?" groaned Tamaki, body paralyzed by fear and the heavy force.

Silently, the figure crouched down and cocked back his arm, before plunging his frigid fingers straight through Tamaki's chest.

+

_Karakura Willow Hill Apartments, approximately seven am_

Although neither he nor the figure could see any longer, the lights in Tamaki's apartment building continued to shine brightly. Perhaps they felt obligated to fulfill their duty as a beacon of hope, even though their lost ship had long since been swallowed by the deep, black sea, or perhaps they shone for the living residents of the apartment block.

On the fifth floor, Mr. Akito Suigetsu was extremely worried. His son was not one to be late, and certainly not one to not return home at night at all. Tamaki was a good son and student, and did not attend parties or ragers with his classmates, instead choosing to return home and study or simply spend quality time with his father. Mr. Suigetsu was so nervous that he had just woken up after having gotten a mere hour's worth of sleep the night before. But he always adhered to the philosophy that in times of hardship and fear, it was best to stick to a familiar routine. So, as always, he walked down the stairs and outside to fetch the morning paper.

As he neared the front door, Mr. Suigetsu saw signs of a commotion outside. That was highly unusual – he had specifically moved to a quiet neighborhood in order to avoid ruckus after his late wife had passed away. Muttering under his breath about annoyance, he proceeded through the doorway to see what was going on. A small crowd of people had formed around something, and Mr. Suigetsu heard the sirens of fast approaching police cars.

Unease swelled in his stomach. His son had not returned last night, and here people were, all circled around what, a body? Was it possible that…? He dug his nails into his palm. It was not possible that so soon after the death of his wife, God would punish him again in such a cruel manner. His son was probably with friends, and would return as soon as possible, apologizing in that bashful way of his with his distinctive, nervous laughter.

He trudged towards the scene, feet dragging as he walked, and made his way through the crowd, avoiding the stares of those around him. After what seemed like too short a time he reached the center, and his heart lurched in his chest. Oh, god. He would've recognized his son's face anywhere, but it looked so still, so unanimated, he could hardly believe… Falling to his knees, he began to sob, clutching his son's stiff legs like a lifeline.

_+_

_Orihime Inoue's apartment, approximately seven fifteen am_

Orihime awoke with a start in a cold sweat. Her pulse was racing, and her hair clung to the sweat beading her forehead. She was horribly out of breath, and sat straight up in her bed, gasping for fresh air.

She regularly dreamed about her time in captivity in Hueco Mundo, but this… this was different. She had never been so terrified in her life, but fear sparked her every nerve ending now, moreso even than when Ichigo had entered his Hollowfied state. She was not scared _of_ anything, but _for_ someone. Although she had been certain he was dead – she had reflected on the circumstances often enough, and the touch of his hand still burned at the forefront of her mind every time she closed her eyes - she was petrified that something terrible had happened to Ulquiorra, something even worse than death. Something about his expression in the dream had been off, and his words had instilled within her the absolute certainty that he was alive and in grave danger. Before she did anything, she knew one thing: she had to tell Kisuke Urahara what she had seen, or else really, really bad things would begin to happen. She just hoped she wasn't too late.


	5. Chapter 5

_Urahara Shōten, approximately seven twenty five am_

It was an unusually quiet morning in the Urahara Shōten. Tessai, Jinta, and Ururu were all fast asleep, and Yoruichi was curled up on the floor, her supine body twisted in a way that any normal person would find uncomfortable.

Kisuke Urahara chuckled under his breath. One of the downsides to living in such a crowded home was that he got no time to himself, but he had to admit that it wouldn't be nearly as fun if he and Yoruichi lived alone. He had recently begun rising earlier so that he could enjoy a cup of steaming hot coffee in peace, but even then it would usually be mere minutes before someone interrupted. However, after fifteen minutes had passed without anyone barging in, Kisuke was feeling optimistic. _Today's my lucky day_ , he thought to himself, pleased. Lifting his mug to his lip he was about to take a sip when, as if on cue, a loud banging on the door shook Kisuke out of bliss. Suppressing a sigh, he put down the coffee, and trudged over to the door.

Yawning, he opened the door, only to be met with a surprising sight. Orihime, clad in a backwards school sweater and a rumpled pair of shorts, was completely out of breath, hands planted on her shaking knees. Her face was flushed bright red from effort, and Kisuke realized almost immediately that she had probably ran the whole way.

"Are you alright, Inoue-san?" he asked, voice thick with concern.

Orihime looked up at him, eyes watering, and tried to speak, only for nothing to come out. Eventually, she just settled on whimpering, "Urahara-san…" before bursting into tears.

Kisuke raised his eyebrows, and took a step towards her, ushering her into the shop. Closing the door behind them, he put a comforting hand on her shoulder, rubbing her back somewhat awkwardly. He waited for her sobs to subside a little, and then guided them past the shelves and towards the table.

"Here, sit down," Kisuke gestured towards the mat. "I'll get you some tea, and then maybe you can explain what happened."

Orihime shook her head vigorously. "N-no, there's no time, I ran here so I could– so I could t-tell you what was going on before…" she trailed off, too choked up to finish her sentence.

Kisuke looked longingly towards the kitchen where he knew his fresh cup of coffee sat. _Come on, Kisuke,_ his inner voice taunted. _It'd be so easy to go get it…_ He turned his gaze back to the shaken Orihime and berated himself for his selfishness. The poor girl was _clearly_ despondent, and here he was worrying about coffee. Sitting down, he patted the space next to him for Orihime to join him.

She sat down, and immediately began to ramble. "I've been having these, um... weird dreams, ever since I came back from Hueco Mundo. I used to brush them off, but last night I had this vision, and I just… the things he said were so real, and I was so sure he was dead but he _can't_ be, and I know this sounds crazy but I'm sure something terrible happened and I'm so scared he's hurt and–"

Kisuke cut her off, and said calmly, "I'm perfectly prepared to listen to what you have to say, Inoue-san. Please calm down. What exactly did you see?"

Orihime squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, and nodded. "Sorry, Urahara-san. I guess I'm more shaken up about this than I thought." Pausing momentarily, she took a shuddering breath before restarting. "I've been having these dreams about Hueco Mundo since I came back, and I used to just think they happened just because that was a scary time in my life, but that's not true, at least not for the one I had last night. Usually he– um, my old guard, that is- just stares at me, looking as he always did, but this time he looked at me and his eyes were completely blank. He wasn't emotional when, um. When I was living in Las Noches, he didn't exactly– well, regardless, he always had this _fire_ , the absolute certainty that he was right, in his eyes. Last night, there was nothing, and I just… it sounds so stupid when I say it loud, but I promise that something was off about him." She looked down at her clasped hands, grimacing as she recalled his dull gaze. "Anyways, the things he said were the worst part. When I, um… when I knew him, you see, he would say the cruellest things, but he didn't say them in a mean way, exactly. It was like he would try to convince you that his viewpoint was correct no matter what, and if you didn't agree you just didn't understand the world. In my dream, he looked me right in the face and asked me why he wasn't dead. Over and over again, the same question, and I couldn't respond. Then he–" she paused momentarily, shaking her head miserably. "I don't understand, but he started to say that I had betrayed him, that my decisions would kill people, and that I couldn't do anything to stop it. But I don't think it's too late because when I woke up I swear that I could sense his reiatsu! I remember exactly what it felt like, and this feeling was the same. If you could please help me, I just need to know if there's a chance he's alive…"

Kisuke rested his head on his hands. While he certainly trusted Orihime and held her word in high regard, he highly doubted that that was the case. He had heard the story of Ulquiorra Schiffer's death on several occasions, and without the regenerative capacity to repair his brain and internal organs or external help, there was almost no chance he could've survived, especially after being crushed to ash. And if he had, he would've been sensed by Harribel in Hueco Mundo by now, or by someone in Seireitei. "Inoue-san," he began softly, "I know that you must feel terrified recalling what he was like, what he put you through. But these dreams are just that – dreams. You should talk to one of your friends about these things you're seeing, but please understand that Ulquiorra Schiffer–" Orihime flinched at the sound of his name "–is almost certainly deceased. You don't have to worry about him coming after you, or hurting you. He's gone now." Kisuke placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It must be difficult to think about, so I'm terribly sorry that you've been through such an ordeal. I'll see if I can come up with anything that will suppress the dreams, okay?"

Orihime's eyes watered. "Please, Urahara-san," she whispered, nails digging into her soft palms. "I know it's hard to believe, but I need your help. If there's even the slightest chance that he's alive then I need to find him. Just... please be on the lookout, okay?"

Kisuke, confronted by Orihime's teary face, took a moment to evaluate the situation. _If he really is alive and Orihime is right_ , he thought to himself, _then he could pose a serious threat to Ichigo and his friends. What if he wants revenge? If I disregard this now, then people could die, and it would be my fault. Damn it, but surely he can't be alive, can he? That would be impossible! But if he is…_ He sighed. "Alright, Inoue-san. If I see signs that he is alive, I will certainly investigate them. Although I must admit I'm not sure why you have such a vested interest. If he's alive and wants vengeance, wouldn't he have done it already?"

Orihime's face flushed a deep red. Considering her messy hair, mismatched clothing, and tearstained face, she looked like a mess, but she was smiling with such obvious relief that Kisuke couldn't help but smile back. Her eyes were shining bright (though whether with joy or residual tears Kisuke did not know), and she laughed through her tears, "Thank you _so_ much, Urahara-san, I promise you won't regret it!" She hugged him and clung on for several seconds, arms wound so tightly around him that he was unable to reciprocate the uncharacteristically touchy gesture.

When she finally released him from her vice-like grip, Kisuke got to his feet. "Don't worry about it," he said casually, mussing up her hair. "Now scram– don't you and your friends have school on this fine morning, Inoue-san?"

Orihime stood as well, and shot him another grateful grin. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'll be going now, I promise, I'm sorry for dropping by so early! Tell everyone to have a good morning!"

After she departed, Kisuke strolled back to the kitchen. Retrieving his abandoned mug, he at long last lifted it to his lips, and took a sip. _Cold_ , he lamented internally. _Of course_.

_+_

_A street in Karakura Town, approximately seven forty five am_

Orihime was deliriously happy. No, more than that – she was absolutely elated! Not only did Urahara not think she was crazy, but he had also agreed to help her in her search for Ulquiorra. _There_ , she thought to herself, satisfied. _I finally said it. Ulquiorra. Ul–qui–o–rra. I suppose I technically_ thought _it, but I think that still should count._

Looking down at her watch, Orihime realized that if she didn't expedite her stroll, she would end up being late for school. For real this time, because as much as she was a teacher's pet, her teacher certainly wouldn't accept two lates or almost-lates in a row.

Backtracking, she started to sprint home. _Even if I am late, this will have been worth it_ , she mused. _Still should try to get there on time though!_

_+_

_Karakura High, approximately eight twenty five am_

Although Tatsuki Arisawa was known for her brawns and not her brain, she was smart enough to realize that her best friend had been avoiding the hell out of her. Firstly, the rooftop debacle. While Tatsuki wasn't as entrenched in the supernatural aspect of their daily lives as some of her friends were, she certainly knew enough to participate in a conversation that was _clearly_ about investigating the recent murders! Secondly, Orihime had blown her off the next afternoon to "just hang out, with myself, totally alone, ahahaha," which, in Orihime speak, meant "I'm doing something you would yell at me for so I'm going to act weird and distract you from the fact that I actually gave no details about my activities."

Maybe Tatsuki was reading into her friend's actions a teensy bit too much, but after this morning's events, there was no way something shady wasn't going on. She had awoken at seven am per usual to complete her morning laps around the block, and could've sworn she spotted Orihime running for her life soon after, which was extremely strange because the redhead would usually sleep till the very last minute before getting up for school. After her morning routine was complete, Tatsuki dropped by her friend's apartment after changing so they could walk together. It took nearly five minutes of banging on the door for her to realize that Orihime wasn't home, at which point she was shaking with anger and had to do a cool down lap around the building before finally departing for school. But that wasn't enough running to satiate her. In fact, Tatsuki was so frustrated that she sprinted to school as fast as she could, which, with her tremendous athletic ability, meant she'd arrived nearly thirty minutes before class was set to begin.

By the time she had reached the building, Tatsuki's rage had subsided. She knew how flighty Orihime was, and it wouldn't surprise her if she had forgotten to call or leave a note, although she always did when she didn't tell Tatsuki where she was going face-to-face… Brushing aside the inconsistency, Tatsuki had set off to locate her best friend and ask her straight up what was going on, but after scouring the school several times she could find no sign of her. Defeatedly, she had returned to the classroom without Orihime, which was where she was sitting now.

Students had begun pouring into the classroom while she was thinking and now there were only a few students who were not yet present, Orihime being among them. She checked her watch and scowled at the time. It was 8:29, which was an unusually late hour for her punctual best friend. Several stragglers poured in, including Ichigo, who sat several seats behind her to her left, and Rukia, who was forced to sit on the opposite side of the room to save the teacher trouble. Finally, the teacher entered as the bell rang and made her way to the front of the class. Placing her bag down on the front desk, she cleared her throat. "Before class begins, I have another serious announcement to make. If you would all settle down for just a few moments, I would be very – "

Just as she was about to finish her sentence, Orihime barged through the door, hair pinned back messily in clips and school mandated socks slipping down her legs. "I'm so sorry," she panted, bending down to pull up her socks and hastily straighten up her appearance. "I went downstairs to pick up an umbrella I lent to someone yesterday, but I guess they didn't give it back yet... I was waiting to see if they would stop by and I guess I lost track of time."

The teacher sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Just this once, Inoue-san, I will not mark you late. But after your close call yesterday and now this, I expect you to be punctual from now on. Please take a seat – I have to make an announcement before class this morning."

"Thank you very much," said Orihime gratefully, before tacking on, "I'll make sure to be on time tomorrow." Bowing her head, she walked sheepishly to her seat, avoiding the inquiring looks from her friends and classmates. When she sat down and finally felt it safe to look up, she immediately regretted her decision. Tatsuki had turned around in her chair and was staring at her, face a mix of annoyance and concern. Although Orihime wasn't telepathic (she certainly wished she were, because she couldn't understand why Chizuru and the boys in her class kept staring at her), she knew what that expression meant – it was Tatsuki's We Need To Talk face. Orihime knew she could be a bit oblivious at times, but she was socially aware enough to realize that Tatsuki would eventually notice she was being excluded. It wasn't mean spirited, of course; the only reason she hadn't involved her best friend was to protect her from the Shinigami business that went beyond her ability and knowledge. Either way, she had known she was going to have to talk to Tatsuki sooner or later, but she hadn't expected it to be this immediate.

"Returning to the topic at hand," said the teacher loudly, breaking Orihime's train of thought and making Tatsuki turn back around, "I regret to inform you that another incident has taken place involving a student. The body Tamaki Suigetsu, a senior here, was found this morning in front of his apartment building. While the police have not released any information about the case yet and no connection has been established with the recent death of Hirabayashi-san, I must stress the importance of staying safe. I would recommend returning home immediately after clubs or after any school activities have ended, and traveling in groups of two or more."

Chatter broke out among the students, and Tatsuki swiveled around yet again to face Orihime. "Do you think the murders are connected?" she asked in a worried tone, previous ire forgotten. "And… do you think the person committing them is a Hollow?"

Orihime frowned. The events that had taken place this morning had gotten her day off to an amazing start, but even they were not enough to dull this bad news. She was used to seeing death – in the world of Shinigami, death bled into all aspects of life, planting seeds of uncertainty and sadness in even the most cheerful of conversations – but not here, in her normal life with her normal classmates. If a Hollow were doing this, would it be the Shinigamis' fault for allowing it? Would the deaths rest on their shoulders? "I don't know," she responded after a moment. "But I think we really need to find out now."

_+_

_Seireitei, Soul Society_

"Omaeda, has there been progress concerning that issue I asked you to address?"

"Yes, Captain Soi-Fon. It seems that the fluctuations you noticed are serious indeed. A representative from Hueco Mundo has requested to meet with you."

"I would assume the meeting will take place in Hueco Mundo, in light of the new treaty. Did the representative say when?"

"She did, Captain. Although she didn't provide a specific time, she said 'as soon as possible' would be preferable."

"Excellent. You can tell Tier Harribel that I'm on my way now. I will be departing shortly."

"Understood, Captain."


	6. Chapter 6

_Karakura High, approximately three thirty pm_

Orihime Inoue had always been the type of girl to enjoy going to school. While she was awkward and struggled to connect with her peers, she adored being in the classroom. There, she was a machine, so focused on doing well enough to get a scholarship to college that she could tune out everything else going on in her life. And when she was in the zone, thoughts about all things Shinigami were usually the furthest thing from her mind.

Today, however, was not like that. Despite having received incredible news in the morning, the announcement of the second death had shaken Orihime to her core. Suddenly, her supernatural drama was not just hers and her friends' anymore. It was sucking her unsuspecting classmates in, too. While Orihime had never struggled with risking her own life, she drew the line when ordinary humans became involved. It was bad enough that Orihime's brother passed away under normal circumstances. She couldn't imagine losing a family member so violently and inexplicably.

Orihime was not prone to generalizing, especially against Hollows, but she could not help but think that whoever was committing these heinous crimes must be out of their mind. Why else would they go out of their way to harm living people who had done nothing to them, and with whom they had no obvious personal connection?

She had experienced her fair share of Hollows, good and bad, but none so far had gone out of their way to murder people with nominal spiritual pressure without a motive. But the murderer had to have been a Hollow; there was no other explanation for the strange residue left near the bodies that Ishida had sensed. So, either the Hollow was out of its mind, or there was a motive and she just hadn't grasped it yet.

She was so distracted by her thoughts that she barely noticed when the final bell rang. It was only when Tatsuki rapped the front of her desk that she realized she was the only one still sitting. Blushing, she rose to her feet and shoved her folders into her bag hastily.

Tatsuki rolled her eyes, and grabbed Orihime's rain jacket off the back of her chair. "Did you bring your umbrella to school today, or did you leave it at home? It's raining pretty hard."

Orihime thought about it for a minute, and smacked herself in the forehead. "Ah, I'm such an idiot! I lent my umbrella to someone last night, and he hadn't returned it when I dropped by this morning. Can we stop by the front desk to go get it before we go to the Hirabayashis'?"

Nodding, Tatsuki picked up her own bag. "Yeah, as long as we go quickly. I told my karate master that I had to do something right after school, and I really don't want him to see me sticking around."

Orihime beamed at her. "Aw, thank you for skipping karate! I really appreciate that you're doing this with me. And don't worry at all, it will only take a minute."

The two girls proceeded down the hallway and down the stairs, and Orihime darted forwards towards the front desk while Tatsuki lingered near the school's front entrance.

"Hi," she began tentatively, addressing the bored secretary. " Sorry to bother you again, but, um... I gave someone an umbrella yesterday, and they said they'd return it to the desk this morning. Did anyone come by to drop it off?" Realizing that identification might be necessary, she added, "It'd be for Orihime Inoue, by the way, ahahaha…"

The secretary looked up from her computer, and said dully, "Sorry, we haven't gotten anything like that today. Check the lost and found if you can't find it."

Orihime frowned. She definitely hadn't seen her umbrella when she'd walked by the lost and found this morning, and she had definitely told the boy to deliver it to the front desk. He hadn't seemed the type to steal an umbrella, but then again he had really seemed like he needed it. Oh well. "Thanks anyway," she said, and walked back over to Tatsuki.

Her best friend took one look at Orihime's empty hands and groaned. "Oh come on, really? Great, now we have to walk in the rain. Stupid creep, stealing an umbrella from an innocent teenage girl like that."

Orihime laughed. "He probably didn't steal it, Tatsuki-chan. Maybe he just forgot to return it this morning, or he lost it in some freak accident, or he needed it to finish his quest to save the world! Oh, I bet it's that one!"

Tatsuki looked over at her, and said sarcastically, "Whatever you say, Orihime. But I'll bet you good money that you're never seeing that umbrella again. Now come on, let's get out of here before the rain gets worse."

Orihime nodded, and the girls walked out of the building side by side.

+

_Kurosaki Clinic, approximately four pm_

Ichigo was not really an optimistic guy. While this was partially a result of his own nature, it hadn't helped that he'd grown up amidst the ghosts of the neighborhood's deceased, who tended to either gripe about their unfortunate lives or try to relive their glory days vicariously through him. After musing on life's purpose and its pointlessness for some time during an extended bout of teenage angst, Ichigo had at one point decided that his outlook was actually quite simple. Basically, some good stuff happens and some bad stuff happens, you die and whine about it, and then you start the cycle all over again.

Thankfully, since becoming a Shinigami, Ichigo had developed somewhat of a new lease on life. While he wasn't a volunteer waxing poetic about the importance of living life to the fullest in a rehab facility, Ichigo liked to think that he'd delivered some pretty bomb motivational speeches about what living meant to him. And unlike those soulless volunteers (not literally, Ichigo hoped; that would be an awkward situation to have to intervene in), Ichigo actually believed what he was saying. After all, he practiced what he preached: the bonds he had formed were saving not only his life but his humanity, too. It was ironic that it took inhuman interference in his life for him to realize its true value, but had it not been for Rukia, perhaps he would never have…

Never mind, that wasn't the point. The point was that, in spite of his pessimistic nature, Ichigo, through the help of a dead midget and her ragtag group of friends and enemies and vaguely antagonistic allies and murderous older brothers and affiliated government agencies, was able to persist in the face of… No, that wasn't the point either. Ichigo was getting distracted, but it was hard not to while doing pre-calc problems. There were Hollows preying on the citizenry of Karakura Town and Ichigo was stuck at home, doing math. It was the _worst_.

Ugh.

There was a point to this train of thought, Ichigo was sure of it. In fact, he was convinced that he had been right on the verge of having a revelation when the ever dreaded pre-calc interrupted. With an annoyed grunt, Ichigo swept the problems off his desk. That was that, at least.

Anyways.

Ichigo was not an optimistic guy, which is why he had been so surprised at himself when he'd ad-libbed a passionate speech about the importance of human perseverance to Ulquiorra Schiffer. He had done it while getting his ass kicked, too, which was pretty impressive. To be fair, if there were ever a time to deliver a touching monologue about perseverance, it would be right before death.

That had probably been the worst fight of Ichigo's life, which, including Aizen, was pretty terrible. At least with Aizen he knew that the battle was justified, because the former captain would accomplish his horrifying goals if he won. But Ulquiorra didn't even seem to care whether he won or lost the fight; he was more preoccupied with proving a point than beating Ichigo. And after it was over, the Hollow had just seemed so resigned, as if he had lost his sense of purpose. Ichigo felt terrible about it even now, because he hadn't even really won – his inner Hollow had, and that wasn't even remotely fair.

Ichigo didn't talk about the Winter War often because he knew it would bother Orihime, who understandably avoided the subject like the plague. But he had a horrible suspicion about the recent murders that, if it were the truth, would mean big problems for him and his friends.

When he had gone down to the station with Ishida to gather more information, there were faint remnants of reiatsu still detectable near the morgue. It was from a Hollow, that much was obvious, but the more Ichigo had thought about it, the more familiar it had seemed. It took him an embarrassingly long time in retrospect, but he eventually realized that it had to have been the reiatsu of an Arrancar. He had encountered only a few Arrancar personally, the majority of whom were deceased, and knew basically nothing about the state of Hueco Mundo after the war. He did know, though — through Rukia and Renji's excited chatter after they'd returned from Soul Society, no doubt — that a treaty had been formed between the governments of Las Noches and Seireitei.

The situation was already pretty tense, as Ichigo understood it. Many Shinigami wanted retribution against the denizens of Hueco Mundo for their friends and family who were killed during the Winter War. On the other hand, the Hollows wanted to establish a good working relationship between Las Noches and Seireitei that would allow for the rebuilding of Hueco Mundo and its government from the ground up. A compromise had been reached, but it was tentative enough that, if news of an Arrancar murdering humans in cold blood broke, the extensive opposition that was sure to rise up would force Seireitei to recall it.

Ichigo was sure that if the Arrancar were like the ones he had encountered, it could be saved from mindless killing. But keeping the treaty in place was in the best interests of both sides. If the only way to accomplish that would be to kill the perpetrator, Ichigo wasn't sure whether he could stand to do it or not. He might have to help the Arrancar, then; an option that came with its own set of questions.

Firstly, he had no idea how he would convince his friends to help him. Orihime balked every time Hueco Mundo was mentioned and struggled noticeably even to say the word Hollow. How would she react if Ichigo asked her to help save an Arrancar? Would she be opposed to it on principle or, the more likely option, agree, only to be faced with mental torment every time they discussed it? Rukia, too, would have problems. She had faced an Espada who masqueraded as her former mentor; could she brush that aside and rescue and Arrancar? Would Ichigo even be able to help someone who had killed innocent teenagers? Did he even really want to, or was he just guilty about what had happened to Ulquiorra?

Secondly, he didn't know how to get to the Arrancar, let alone interact with it enough to prevent it from killing anyone else and bring it back to its rightful home in Hueco Mundo. Was the Arrancar even in control enough to have that kind of conversation? Would it want to go back to Hueco Mundo? Would it even be allowed back?

Lastly, and most importantly, could he do that and prevent another conflict from breaking out between Seireitei and Hueco Mundo? Could the treaty survive?

Ichigo sighed heavily, massaging his temples. All this thinking was making his brain hurt. Was this what Ishida felt like all the time? Maybe it was just because he wasn't used to analyzing something so closely.

Usually he acted first and then thought about the consequences, but ever since the catastrophe with Aizen he had been trying harder to consider his options before doing anything reckless. Regardless, he couldn't do anything brash in this situation; there was no leap of faith to be made, just lots and lots of careful calculations.

Ichigo sighed once more and banged his head on the desk, precalc worksheet long since disregarded. _Maybe calling Ishida tonight instead of telling him tomorrow would be a good idea_ , thought Ichigo sourly. It probably wouldn't matter anyways. Knowing Ishida, he'd figured out that the culprit was an Arrancar long before the possibility had even crossed Ichigo's mind. Besides, if he called Ishida, Rukia would almost definitely overhear him. He could hear her pottering about in the kitchen with his sisters, but he knew that if he started talking to someone on the phone, she would come back to his room to eavesdrop.

_Guess the conversation's gonna have to wait until tomorrow_ , he decided. Now, back to those precalc problems...

_+_

_Throne Room of Las Noches, Hueco Mundo, approximately 9 pm_

Tier Harribel had never liked Aizen's throne room. Even back when she was one of his treasured Espada and had revered him as her savior and master, she'd never understood why he kept it the way he did. It was huge, one of the tallest rooms in the already narrow palace, so much so that the tops of its many pillars were shrouded in darkness, lost in the hazy fog blanketing the ceiling. The throne itself was nearly level with the columns, perched on a block so high up that it was difficult to see who was sitting on it. The acoustics of the room had always been incredible, though. Aizen's voice used to ring out loudly, reverberating against the marble walls to make him seem larger than life. Harribel didn't like that at all. Ironically, she had always found it uncomfortable to hear someone talk without seeing their face. It made her feel small and strange, like she was surrounded by an evil presence but unable to fight back.

Now that she had filled his shoes as the leader of Las Noches, she understood the appeal. The throne's height made her look effortlessly intimidating, and its walls helped her quiet voice carry in a way that she had trouble producing naturally. It was not for every occasion, and she rarely used it to deal with offenders in Hueco Mundo the way Aizen had done, though she almost always did when important guests were visiting. She would've held her meeting with the emissary from Seireitei there, too, if the damned woman had given her sufficient warning. Unfortunately, she and several of her subordinates had arrived mere moments after Harribel had received a message confirming the meeting. After directing her guards to wait outside, the woman had introduced herself to Harribel politely, and promptly fallen into step behind her. It would be unbecoming to lead the Shinigami to the throne room and jump up to the throne just to greet her, so Harribel was forced to take her to the board room instead, a weirdly casual setting for such an important meeting.

Mila Rose, Apacci, and Sung-Sun were lurking nearby, and Harribel was sure the Captain walking beside her could sense them as well, much to her embarrassment. She was briefly tempted to call them to her side, but had to admit that they would be more distracting than helpful. Harribel glanced at the Shinigami and was struck by her unreadable expression. They were similar in that way, although Harribel's face was mostly hidden by the collar of her coat, which certainly helped her maintain a stoic image.

There were still several more minutes of walking before they would reach the board room. Harribel realized that, as she was Hueco Mundo's only political representative to Soul Society, she would be forced to engage in small talk to fill the strained silence or else make a bad impression.

She said mildly, "I'm surprised by how fast you arrived, Captain Soi-Fon. I was unaware that travel between Soul Society and Hueco Mundo could be done successfully in such a short period of time."

Captain Soi-Fon smiled neutrally. "I am part of the stealth division of Seireitei, Harribel-sama; we are masters of all kinds of speed techniques. A fellow Captain in a different division is capable of opening Garganta. The rest was simple."

Harribel almost rolled her eyes. She understood that the other woman was simply doing her job, but there was no need to flaunt Seireitei's defensive capabilities. If Harribel were to attack, which she had no intention of ever doing, she and her forces would be decimated near instantly. They were so low in numbers and strength in the wake of the Winter War that such a move would be both politically and literally an act of suicide.

Realizing she had let the conversation lag, Harribel responded pleasantly, "Arrancar also have a mastery of similar speed techniques, although I believe we use different names to describe them. Please wait only a little longer, we have almost arrived."

After another minute of walking in awkward silence, the pair arrived at the board room. Harribel pushed through the door and held it open for the Shinigami, letting it shut gently behind her after they had both entered.

Taking a seat at the head of the room, Harribel waited for the Captain to sit next to her before starting to speak. Once they were both settled, she began. "Thank you for arriving on such short notice. When your Lieutenant contacted me about the reiatsu fluctuations your research facilities picked up on, I was not surprised. Although I have been busy with construction and stablilization, I have noticed these inconsistencies as well. Significant numbers of Hollows have disappeared since the end of the war, usually immediately after they arrive. They're not traveling to the Human World, to the best of my knowledge. I would believe they're being eaten by something here, but if that were the case, then a new Vasto Lorde would have appeared."

Captain Soi-Fon nodded, and replied, "The fluctuations seem to be caused by something sucking reiatsu out of the atmosphere, but it's certainly helpful that you were able to determine in what form that's materializing. On a side note, I didn't see any other Arrancar in the palace. Where are they?"

Harribel frowned, and was once again glad that her coat covered her mouth. "They are working on various assignments across Hueco Mundo, but I can assure you that they are all here. My Fracción are in the palace right now, as I'm sure you are aware, but many of the others live here too, including my second in command."

Captain Soi-Fon remained stoic, though she looked relieved to Harribel's highly trained eye. "I see. Have the fluctuations had any adverse effects on them, or any of your other Hollows?"

Harribel had thought about how to respond to this question many times before contacting Soul Society. While she was in no way planning to attack Seireitei, it seemed to her a bad idea to reveal sensitive information that could compromise any tactical advantage Hueco Mundo might have in the event of another war. On the other hand, it didn't seem like the Shinigami woman was asking in order to get an edge for a potential war. Revealing the depth of the fluctuations' damage would perhaps motivate Soul Society to help with the full breadth of their abilities instead of leaving it up to Harribel and her meager forces.

After several moments, Harribel made her decision, staring at a crack in the wooden table to avoid seeming pathetic in front of the impassive Captain. "Yes, they have. The effects have been quite severe. Many older Hollows are dying of starvation and are attempting to go to the Human World in order to find prey, and we have to kill at least some of them. Coupled with the disappearance of the newborn Hollows, this has lead to massive population decline. Additionally, our Pesquisa – a technique we use for reiatsu detection – has been rendered nearly useless. The fluctuations are so huge that they make it extremely difficult to focus on one thing. While there was once someone among us who had mastered the technique completely and was so advanced that he would likely remain unaffected, he died during the Winter War. Unfortunately, that means that none of us are able to use it at the moment, which weakens our defenses significantly."

When Harribel looked up, she saw that the Shinigami woman's façade had faltered slightly. Her brows were furrowed, and her short, neat nails were digging into her palms hard enough to draw blood. "I see," said the Captain. "Do you have any idea what could be leeching the reiatsu and devouring the Hollows?"

Harribel was not so proud that she could not admit when she didn't know something. This was a question she had agonized over for weeks, unable to sleep at the thought of her newly restored nation falling apart. She simply did not know what could require so much energy that it could ingest innumerable Hollows and still be powerful enough to fly under the radar. It could not be a Hollow – Harribel had never encountered a Gillian or an Adjuchas powerful enough to hide its identity, and certainly not a newly formed Vasto Lorde. It simply was not possible. The only other possibility was that the culprit was an Arrancar, but Harribel had gone to great lengths to determine who had died during the war and who was still in Hueco Mundo. She had searched using Pesquisa, before the disruptions started, for each and every one of them, and had located every survivor. There was no one else who she knew of who could be responsible.

"No," Harribel acknowledged quietly. "I've gone through every possibility, but I cannot think of anyone who could be responsible. Without the Pesquisa, it is impossible to trace who exactly it is, where they are, and how powerful they are. We can vaguely sense it when it comes, but Hueco Mundo is a vast desert. We have neither the capabilities nor the desire to launch a full scale attack, and potentially risk our already dwindling numbers."

The Captain meditated on this for several minutes, clearly thinking intently about what Harribel had just said. Finally, the Shinigami woman rose to her feet, and smiled curtly. "Thank you for your assessment, Harribel-sama. I will consult with my superiors, and will be returning sometime over the next several weeks to speak with you again. Hopefully we will be able to resolve this issue by that time."

Harribel rose as well, and bowed her head respectfully. "Thank you, Captain Soi-Fon. I hope so as well."

+

_Outside of Las Noches, Hueco Mundo, approximately 10 pm_

"You are so stupid. I can't believe you thought it would be a good idea to fight me in that condition. It's completely your fault that I thrashed you."

"Shaddap, brat. I'm totally fine, it's just a stupid cold."

"Oho, so you really are just weaker than me, huh? I thought it was your extreme illness that made you lose…"

"Wha– NO, I'm NOT! Shut UP! I'm gonna kill you!"

"Hahahahahahaha, weakass, catch me if you can!"


	7. Chapter 7

_Las Noches, Hueco Mundo, approximately five am_

Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck yawned exaggeratedly. She  _hated_ being on the morning shift, but ever since the loss of the Pesquisa, Harribel had made it mandatory for every Arrancar in the top tier to participate. Nel wanted to keep her place as Harribel's second-in-command, of course, so she had to wake up bright and early every morning for patrol.

Not everything about it was terrible, though. In fact, since she had started rising earlier, she had noticed improvements in her performance. Her speed and reiatsu had increased, and so had her ability to maintain her released form for longer stretches of time. It was a slow process, but she was definitely returning to her former glory as an Espada.

The other positive of being on the morning shift so frequently was that she got to spend time with Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, much to his chagrin. While they hadn't known each other when she was the Tercero, in recent months they had forged a friendship based on mutual hatred and annoyance. It was  _hilarious_ to bug the crap out of him, because he couldn't retaliate in the way he clearly wanted to. If he tried to fight her, he would just lose and embarrass himself, so he was stuck with yelling at her like a petulant child.

Still, though… it would probably be funnier to witness Grimmjow's immaturity a little later in the day. Five in the morning was  _brutal_ , even for a seasoned warrior like Nel. She yawned again at the thought, and stretched widely, making sure to 'accidentally' whack her walking companion's arm.

Grimmjow snarled at her. "Really, bitch? Isn't hitting me like a baby a little below your pay grade? Or are you still stuck as a five year old?"

Nel grinned, teasing back, "I don't know, Grimmjow… I might be, but doesn't that mean that you lost to a kindergartener?"

Grimmjow shuddered internally at the memory of their most recent fight, and retorted testily, "I'll win next time, dumbass, I was just sick. Anyway, something more interesting happened yesterday. Did you see the Shinigami Captain talking to Sharkface? Do you know why she was here?"

Nel stopped in her tracks, and turned to face him. "Sharkface is  _not_  the proper way to refer to your superior, Grimmjow. But if you wanted to ask again more respectfully, I suppose I could answer your question."

Grimmjow rolled his eyes, and said drolly, "Sorry, ma'am. Won't happen again. Lemme rephrase: why was a Shinigami  _whore_  talking to Harribel-sama?"

Nel rolled her eyes and waggled her finger chastisingly. "That's only a little bit better. They were meeting about the fluctuations, obviously. Harribel-sama asked Menoly to extend the invitation to Soul Society. She's not as good at Sonido or opening accurate Garganta as the rest of us, but Harribel-sama couldn't spare anyone more valuable."

Grimmjow puffed up his chest, and laughed. "Ha! Guess there are some benefits to being third-in-command in this shithole! D'you think that asshole Kurosaki is gonna come and try to fix it? 'Cause if he does, I'm gonna pound his ugly mug into the ground. Little fucker has had it coming for a while now, if you ask me."

Nel was about to respond when she noticed a familiar figure standing behind them, silent as ever. "H-Harribel-sama!" she stammered, flushing hotly. "I didn't see you there!"

Grimmjow jumped straight up and swiveled around to face his commander. "Good morning, Harribel-sama," he greeted through clenched teeth.

Harribel remained impassive, although her eyebrows twitched slightly in what could perhaps be construed as amusement. "I hope you have no plans to attack any emissary from Soul Society, Grimmjow. It would certainly upset the treaty."

Grimmjow stared intently at the ground, and said, "Nope, nothing like that. Sorry, Harribel-sama, I'll keep my mouth shut next time."

Harribel's eyes darted between the two of them, and she sighed heavily. "As long as you're not serious about any of your lofty threats, I have no qualms with your banter. As you were." At that, she disappeared, leaving nothing but footprints on the soft sand in her wake.

"Jesus," said Grimmjow, after a moment's pause. "She definitely wasn't this scary under Aizen."

Nel gulped. "Agreed."

 

+

 

_Orihime Inoue's apartment, approximately seven forty am_

Orihime awoke to the incessant beeping of her alarm clock on her bedside table, ringing shrilly in her ear. Disentangling herself from her duvet, she pressed snooze, and rubbed her sleepy eyes.

Although she had been sleeping badly for several months, the previous night had been particularly difficult. After visiting the Hirabayashis', she was both emotionally and physically drained. From attempting to console the tearful Mitsuko Hirabayashi with memories of her own experience to cleaning the house in preparation for the funeral with Tatsuki, Orihime was extremely worn out by the time she arrived at her empty apartment. She had struggled to complete her homework, problems swimming together so they were barely intelligible. When she finally finished and slipped into bed, it was already upwards of twelve thirty. Instead of drifting to sleep soon after, Orihime lay in bed for hours, eyes squeezed shut as she willed herself to relax. As much as she tried, though, her mind would not stop racing. Images of Aiko Hirabayashi's dead body and Ulquiorra's dull eyes blurred together, a horrible mix of her worst nightmares that haunted her until the wee hours of the morning. She had finally fallen asleep at five-thirty, when gentle sunlight first began to filter through her curtains and her turbulent thoughts were put at ease.

Now, at seven forty, she was miserable. Two hours of sleep wasn't enough for Orihime to get by on, but she had no other choice but to attend her classes. She'd already missed several months of school while in captivity – it was either go every day and make up her lost work or repeat the year entirely, which she wanted to avoid at all costs.

Groaning, she sat up and pushed her blanket aside, stumbling to her feet. She groggily put on her uniform and brushed her hair, picking up her schoolbag from the couch as she left the house.

Tatsuki, as usual, was waiting for her outside of her apartment. "You're late," she said accusingly. She eyed Orihime up and down, and added, "And your shoes are on the wrong feet."

Orihime looked down, and saw that her shoes were, indeed, not put on correctly. Blushing, she fixed her error, and laughed sheepishly. "Hahahaha, I guess you're right. You know me, clumsy as always, hahahaha…"

Tatsuki gave her a strange look, but didn't comment on Orihime's suspicious behavior. "Let's get going," she said instead, starting to walk down the hall.

Orihime sighed to herself in relief and hurried after her friend. When she tried to run, however, her legs buckled in protest. Although she hadn't noticed before, she now realized that they were taut and sore, as did her arms.  _That's odd_ , she thought, slowing her pace so as not to overexert herself.  _I haven't exercised recently…_

Tatsuki turned when she reached the doors to the staircase and saw Orihime lagging behind, struggling under the weight of her small schoolbag. "Do you need help?" she called, jogging towards where her best friend was walking.

"No, it's fine, really," said Orihime bashfully, trying to fix her posture so she looked less like she was hobbling.

Tatsuki rolled her eyes, and grabbed her friend's arm, draping it over her muscular shoulders. Looking at Orihime, she laughed, and said, "We  _really_ have to stop getting mixed up in things before school or the teacher really will kill us."

Orihime giggled, and replied, "Not before she kills Kurosaki-kun and Kuchiki-san. They're doomed."

 

 

+

 

_Shinigami Research and Development Institute, Seireitei, Soul Society, approximately ten am_

Mayuri Kurotsuchi was quite certain he had just made the largest scientific breakthrough in Shinigami history since the creation of the Hogyoku, which was no easy feat. To be fair, though, it was not entirely of his own making; in fact, his actions had hardly influenced the trajectory of this particular experiment at all. He counted himself lucky that he had even  _found_ the specimen in the first place. It was only by chance that he had discovered its partially formed torso while examining the hole in Las Noches' roof to measure the shift in atmospheric pressure. He had first discarded it as just another Hollow's corpse, but upon closer inspection, its reiatsu was much too high for that to be possible. It had to be an Arrancar, then. Even so, he wasn't  _really_ interested in excavating the Arrancar until he observed its skin move to cover part of an exposed vein.

The growth had been tiny, less than a single centimeter of skin cells restored, but it suggested something that Mayuri hadn't thought possible. The miserable creature was definitely dead, headless and limbless, but it was somehow growing. From what he knew about Arrancar biology (and he knew a lot), regeneration only functioned if the internal organs were intact, or else the creature would remain dead. Clearly, this Arrancar's internal organs were not present. So how was its flesh growing? Was it truly the case that its regenerative capacity had increased beyond that of its peers? Not one to let such a question remain unanswered, Mayuri returned to Soul Society with the torso, wrapped away securely by Nemu, and positioned it in a vacant lab to chart its progress.

After all that business about sorting out the treaty with Hueco Mundo and stationing the Garganta in a readily accessible location for transport, however, weeks had gone by without anyone checking on his experiment. He and Nemu were the only ones who knew of its existence, of course; no one else could be trusted to not interfere. While leaving it alone was a terrible violation of procedure, this test subject was too important and too fragile to reveal to any of his coworkers. They simply wouldn't understand how critical it would be for the scientific world to discover how the physiology of an artificially created creature would react to different stimuli, and to understand how was gradually repairing itself.

When everything had settled down and Mayuri returned to the lab with Nemu in tow, he witnessed something incredible. The creature, whose skin had been restoring itself in tiny increments when he saw it last, was almost fully regenerated, from its clawed feet to its twisted horns. Even more impressive, it had clearly moved from its position when he had seen it last. The glass door was marred by claw markings, and the various wires once sewn into his torso were long since disconnected. Mayuri began to perform tests immediately and did so over the following few days, reconnecting the Arrancar to wires in order to test its awareness. Predictably, it demonstrated responses to the electric shocks and other similar tests, recorded fastidiously by Nemu in the experiment's journal. Unfortunately, it was clearly unconscious, and would not respond to verbal or intellectual stimuli in spite of its active and steady brain waves. Intelligent or not, though, the Arrancar's development was monumental. Even without the majority of its internal organs, it possessed the ability to completely regenerate its physical body, an undocumented phenomenon.

Mayuri was, of course, aware of the dangers that came with continuing to experiment on the Arrancar. He was perfectly aware of who it had once been, and realized that when the breadth of his experimentation was discovered by the rest of Seireitei, he would be met with considerable and ardor from his colleagues. It didn't matter, though, because more than a member of the Gotei 13, more than the Captain of the 12th Division, more than even a Shinigami, Mayuri was a scientist.

 

+

 

_Karakura High, approximately three pm_

Orihime was not having a good day. Her body throbbed painfully for no apparent reason, and her head pounded like it had been split open with an axe. To make matters worse, she had been nodding off during class from a combination of lack of sleep and general lethargy. Her teachers were thankfully being lenient with her, but she could tell they were annoyed by her lack of focus.

She felt terrible about her attitude, too. It was so stupid that she could barely function when confronted with even the slightest bit of pain; it really was no wonder that everyone thought she was pathetically weak. Without the Shun Shun Rikka, she couldn't even manage a tiny ailment, let alone a serious wound acquired in battle. Sighing, she fingered the hairpins, thumbs brushing over their cold surface nostalgically. She couldn't believe that it was only four years ago that Sora had given them to her. Since then, so much had happened, starting with his transformation into a Hollow…

At the word Hollow, Orihime buried her face in her hands, elbows resting heavily on her desk. She couldn't be selfish and mope about her past when her classmates were being brutally murdered right under her and her friends' noses.

 _That settles it, we've got to talk to Urahara-san about it together_ , she thought to herself determinedly.  _I feel bad bothering him twice in the same week, but I suppose this time everyone is involved so it won't be too much for him to bear._

Looking up at the clock, Orihime frowned. Usually she had a free period during this time of the day, but today she had to stay at school to attend the mandatory health classes along with the rest of her grade. Although she understood the importance of teaching students basic first aid, it seemed silly when such gruesome crimes were being committed around them and they were left defenseless. A normal school certainly couldn't teach its students how to defend themselves against Hollows, but Orihime wished that the faculty would at least acknowledge the dangerous nature of the situation instead of just telling the students to just go home earlier.

When the bell finally rang, Orihime had almost fallen asleep to the dulcet tones of her teacher's droning, still tired from the lack of sleep she had gotten the previous night.

 _Alright_ , she thought, gathering her stuff and leaving the classroom.  _I'm gonna find the others, and we're going to do what we should've done from the start._


	8. Chapter 8

_Outside of Karakura High, approximately three thirty pm_

Orihime waited outside the school for Tatsuki and the rest of their posse, wringing her hands together nervously as she considered how best to propose her plan. She wasn't usually one to go against the group, instead preferring to go along with what everyone else wanted to keep the peace, but she was convinced that consulting Urahara was the only way to effectively interfere in the dire situation plaguing the town. If the others disagreed with her she would  _have_ to argue with them for the sake of their fellow classmates, regardless of how uncomfortable it would make her feel.

Before she could reflect more on what to say, she noticed Tatsuki jogging towards her, bag slung casually over her shoulder. Behind her were Ichigo and Rukia, walking side by side and talking quietly, followed closely by Ishida and Sado.

"Yo!" yelled Tatsuki, waving at Orihime. "Sorry I took so long!"

"Oh, no, it's okay!" Orihime shouted back. "Don't worry about it, it didn't bother me at all to wait!"

Tatsuki slowed down as she approached, stopping altogether when she reached Orihime. "I still feel bad, though," she replied, frowning. "You shouldn't be waiting alone, not with all the stuff that's been going on recently."

Orihime smiled, and said, "I appreciate your concern, Tatsuki-chan, but I can defend myself. You don't need to be worried about me all the time."

Ishida, who had caught up with the pair alongside everyone else, chimed in with a nod. "She definitely can. I've witnessed her powers firsthand, and they're much more impressive than anyone gives her credit for. Even without them, she can hold her own pretty well."

Orihime blushed, and responded, "Thank you, Ishida-kun! That's very kind of you to say. But… speaking about the recent murders, I, uh," she took a deep breath, looking briefly up at Ichigo and Rukia, and continued, "I think it's time to speak to Urahara-san about what's going on. I know we were too busy to go do it earlier, but if people are in danger, then on our own, especially when I can't use the Shun Shun Rikka… I'm worried that someone else is going to die, and it'll be my fault that we couldn't protect them."

Ishida tilted his head to the side in consideration and nodded. "That's a sensible idea, Inoue-san. If the culprit is what I think it is we're going to need someone with much more knowledge than we have to help us catch it."

Orihime was happy that someone had backed her up, but something about what Ishida had just said was worrying her. "Ishida-kun," she asked tentatively, "who do you think the culprit is, if not a Hollow?"

Ishida frowned, and looked to Ichigo. "I think both Kurosaki and I noticed that something was strange about the reiatsu while we were in the morgue, but it was only after we left that I realized what it was. It's definitely from a Hollow, that's obvious, but… it's not  _just_ from a Hollow. I'm not sure, but I think it's the reiatsu of an Arrancar."

Ichigo smiled grimly, and, after a brief pause, spoke. "Yeah, that's what I thought too. Inoue is right – if we're gonna try to stop these murders, we can't do it alone. It's time to go talk to Urahara."

 

+

 

_Urahara Shōten, approximately four pm_

Kisuke Urahara had to admit that, however dearly he loved Yoruichi and the rest of his household, having the shop to himself just to relax was absolutely wonderful. She and the kids were out doing something or other – he was a little fuzzy on the details, as Yoruichi's note had consisted of only the word OUT in dramatic capital letters – and had been gone for almost three hours, much to his delight.

Although she wouldn't admit it if it killed her, Kisuke was pretty sure the reason Yoruichi had taken it upon herself to bring the kids on an outing was to give him some much needed alone time. She knew, of course, that there was no way he could pursue the leads he had found on Orihime's case when he was swamped down managing his employees and the shop itself. As he often did, Kisuke felt a surge of affection for his partner. Yoruichi, no matter how brash and rude she could be, always had his best interests at heart. He really was lucky to have convinced her to stay with him; at this point, he didn't know what he would do without her.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Kisuke sighed, and grabbed his coffee off the kitchen counter. It was going to be a long afternoon at work, even without the distraction of his family. While at first Kisuke hadn't expected Orihime's frantic visit to yield any results, after some investigation it was clear that her worries were at least somewhat warranted. He hadn't found any evidence to suggest that Ulquiorra Schiffer was alive, but there was clearly something going amiss in Hueco Mundo. He'd detected severe fluctuations in reiatsu originating from the desert nation over the past several days, stopping and starting again at various intervals. To make matters worse, Kisuke had to assume that the party responsible hadn't been caught yet, gathering from the fact that they hadn't ceased.

A loud knock on the door interrupted Kisuke's consideration of the various different potential causes of rapid changes in reiatsu. He contemplated ignoring it for a minute, but when the incessant banging refused to stop, he relented and answered the door.

The sight that met him when he opened it was Ichigo Kurosaki and co, schoolbags still on, clustered together like a gaggle of geese. He groaned internally, and resigned himself to the fact that he was going to have to deal with whatever they had come to see him about, no matter how much it distracted him from his work.

Surprisingly, the one who stepped forward first was Orihime, poking her two pointer fingers together awkwardly in front of her chest. "Sorry for intruding on such short notice, Urahara-san," she said, "but we have to talk to you about something really important."

Upon closely observing her face, Kisuke noticed the same urgency he had seen several days prior. Although she wasn't crying this time, she still seemed manic. This time, however, it wasn't with fear – no; on the contrary, she looked almost optimistic. Kisuke opened the door wider, and wordlessly beckoned for the students to come in.

After greetings had been exchanged and everyone had settled down on the couch, Urahara addressed the group. "Before we get started, does anyone want tea?"

Ichigo exchanged a quick glance with Rukia, and said gravely, "I think we're all going to need some to get through this story, Urahara-san."

 

+

 

_Shinigami Research and Development Institute, Seireitei, Soul Society, approximately four forty-five pm_

It was not often that Mayuri Kurotsuchi was thrown off guard. He prided himself on his ability to remain impassive in the face of all kinds of trial and tribulation, and considered his predictive ability to be one of the primary reasons he was heralded as one of the most successful scientists of all time. When he returned to his private labs to see his specimen's eyes open and its body surrounded by a glowing orange shield, however, he had to admit that he was surprised.

He had set up a system in the lab that would alert either him or Nemu if shifts in the subject's brain activity were detected and he had received no such message, which suggested that either his technology wasn't functioning correctly (highly doubtful), or that the subject had remained in an unconscious state, and was not moving or using the technique of his own accord.

To get a closer look at what was occurring, Mayuri used his admin access to continue through the glass door into the lab's interior. When he attempted to approach the subject, however, he found that he could not get within three feet's distance without being blocked by the shield. No matter how much force he attempted to exert, he was blocked from coming close.

 _This is irritating_ , he thought, painted brows furrowed thoughtfully. It was not often that he was met with an intellectual challenge – normally, he was able to easily put his extensive intelligence to use and solve the problems that came his way. His brain was providing no explanation for this situation, though; nothing that he had encountered before suggested that what was happening was even possible, especially within a contained area like his private labs.

Although Mayuri couldn't explain how the specimen's eyes were open or how it was using an ability without any shift in brain waves signifying its consciousness, something about the technique the specimen was putting to use was familiar…

"Nemu!" he shouted, calling out to his assistant, who was lingering somewhere behind the laboratory's glass walls with the experimental journal in hand. He heard the sound of her running, and smirked to himself, internally celebrating the genius of his creation. It was always useful to have someone so devoted to him that she came at his beck and call no matter what she was doing.

"Yes, Mayuri-sama?" she said, once she arrived to stand beside him.

Mayuri turned to face her, and asked impatiently, "Are you familiar with the ability the specimen is displaying right now? I know I've witnessed something like it before, but I can't recall what exactly it is…"

Nemu surveyed the scene for a few moments, and replied cautiously, "If I'm not mistaken, Mayuri-sama, it seems remarkably similar to the abilities the Shun Shun Rikka provide Orihime Inoue with. Of course, we haven't been able to examine how exactly they function yet, so this assessment is surface level only."

Mayuri contemplated this for a moment before nodding, his made up face breaking out into a wide grin. "Well done, Nemu. Now get out – Papa needs to think."

 

+

 

_Urahara Shōten, approximately five pm_

"That's all we know so far," finished Ishida, fingers steepled together on the table in front of him. "We don't really know how to go on from here – how to catch this thing, or even determine if it really  _is_ an Arrancar doing this."

Orihime nodded, and added solemnly, "I – I mean, uh, we want to stop the attacks as soon as we can. We just don't know enough, and we figured – if it's not too much of an inconvenience, of course – that you could help us."

Kisuke scoured her face closely and, just as he had noticed before, there was something about her expression that bothered him. She seemed upset, definitely, but also... hopeful.

Realizing that he had paused for a little too long, he said hastily, "Of course I'd be willing to help you out. I have to – we can't have Hollows picking off normal civilians, can we? I'll do some investigation and get back to you if I find anything." Looking at Orihime again, he continued, "Inoue-san, would you mind if we talked for a moment? Privately, if you wouldn't mind."

Orihime looked startled, but quickly said, "Of course, Urahara-san." Shooting an apologetic glance at her befuddled friends, she said, "It'll only be a minute. You don't have to wait for me if it's too much trouble."

Tatsuki rolled her eyes, and shook her head. "Don't worry about us, Orihime. We can just wait outside," she glared at the rest of the group, daring them to contradict her, "can't we?"

When the others stayed silent, she grinned triumphantly, and got to her feet. "Come on, then! I have story about what happened during practice the other day that I've been meaning to tell you guys anyway!"

After they cleared out of the room in a huddle of boisterous chatter and laughs, Orihime adjusted her position on the couch to face Kisuke. "What was it you wanted to talk about, Urahara-san?" she asked, fingers laced together nervously in her lap.

Kisuke grimaced, and said plainly, "I apologize for my brusqueness, Inoue-san, but I think I have to be straight up about this. Are you by any chance hoping that the Arrancar responsible for these crimes is Ulquiorra Schiffer, because you want him to be punished for what he did to you?"

Orihime's face went white, and then turned a brilliant red. "N-no! I mean, I don't even know if he's alive, and I w-want to, uh… I want to meet with him again, but I– I would never hope that he would– no, never. Besides, it's i-impossible anyways." She smiled faintly, and continued, "Ulquiorra-san would never do such a thing. He was part of Aizen's army, but he wasn't… he isn't cruel. Not like that, not like he could be."

Reluctantly, Kisuke nodded. "I'm not going to question your motives, Inoue-san. With regard to what you asked me about a few days ago, I haven't found any signs that he's alive, but… I want to give you a word of caution. If he is, and especially if he's the one committing these murders, he might not be the same as he was when you knew him. If I were you, I would be extremely careful. Please don't interfere too much in this situation."

Orihime looked down at her hands, and said quietly, "I don't think it's him, but… Understood, Urahara-san. I'm sorry if I caused you any worry."

Kisuke frowned, and gently patted her on the back. "I'm sorry for being so harsh, Inoue-san, but it really is for the best. Without the Rikka, I'm concerned that you wouldn't be able to protect yourself against an adversary, especially not one from your personal past."

Orihime remained still for a moment before looking back up at him, face betraying none of her emotions. "Don't apologize, Urahara-san. Thank you for warning me." Rising to her feet, she brushed off her skirt, and said, "I'm sorry that I have to leave so out of the blue, but I shouldn't keep the others waiting too long. They'll be worried about me."

Kisuke tipped his head, and replied, "Ah, it's fine. Just keep what I said in mind and don't stress too much, okay? I'll look into it, and we'll catch the killer soon."

Orihime shot him a parting glance and exited the shop silently, leaving Kisuke alone with his thoughts.

 

+

 

_Las Noches, Hueco Mundo, approximately seven pm_

Grimmjow was not having a good day. He had woken to a bucket of ice water being poured on his head, a prank done masterfully by Pesche on behalf of his loving friend Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, only to have to join her for morning patrol for the third time that week. Then, he had to go to Harribel's monthly progress assessment, which meant another mock fight with Nel that left him embarrassed and sore per usual. Finally, he had to try and streamline the Pesquisa in an attempt to make it work, with unimpressive results.

By the time dinner had arrived, Grimmjow was feeling sick, tired, sore, and embarrassed. He wasn't even in the mood to eat, which was a rare occurrence for someone as unrelentingly hungry as Grimmjow. And to make matters worse, because Nel refused to leave him alone, she was by his side trying to coerce him to try whatever toxic food combination she had come up with that day.

Ignoring his annoying companion, Grimmjow closed his eyes and massaged his temples, sighing under his breath. It was going to be a long, long week.  _Honestly_ , he thought dolefully,  _at least under Aizen people were scared of me. I hate being so pathetic. This is some frustrating ass bullshit_.

Nel frowned, and poked his arm. "Oi, Grimmjow, what's wrong? You seem sad. It's weird, and not like you."

Grimmjow cracked open his eyes, and said blearily, "Shaddap, dumbass. Not in the mood right now."

Nel pouted, and said, "Aww, Grimmjow, is someone tired? I always knew you were a baby, but not this mu – "

Grimmjow rose to his feet and lumbered away in the direction of the his quarters, not even waiting for Nel to finish her sentence.

Watching his retreating back, Nel turned to Dondochakka and commented dryly, "Jeez, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Grimmjow is grumpy!"

Pesche, sitting across from her, grinned, and shot back, "That might have been the force of the water, Nelliel-sama."

Grimmjow had made it almost halfway across the room, but, with his catlike hearing, heard this comment clearly. He turned around and yelled ferociously at the trio, "I'm gonna get you back for that one, you dumb bitch! Just watch your fuckin' back!"


	9. Chapter 9

_Shinigami Research and Development Institute, Seireitei, Soul Society, approximately eight am_

Mayuri Kurotsuchi did not take well to failure, mostly because he had never experienced it before. Up until this maddening point, he had succeeded in triumphing over every challenge he was met with using his many skills, including, but not limited to, his genius IQ. It was to be expected, given his many successes, that he would be seen as one of the great minds of his generation – and indeed he was, by both friends and detractors alike. He wondered what those people would say if they saw him now, puzzling over a seemingly simple question: What part of this creature's body is allowing it to regenerate?

Mayuri was no stranger to the ins and outs of its internal structure. He had studied Arrancar biology extensively after the end of the Winter War, and considered himself to be an expert on the subject. Even so, when he saw what the creature was doing to itself, he went back over all the material in an attempt to determine how it was happening. But no matter how many books and diagrams he poured over, he simply could not figure it out.

What Nemu had observed several days earlier had been true – the regenerative process that the creature used to heal itself was very similar to that of Orihime Inoue's Shun Shun Rikka. While that might lead a lesser scientist to believe that the creature possessed similar powers to the human girl, Mayuri was top tier, and not prone to such fantastical thoughts. If the two's abilities were really one and the same, why hadn't the creature used its power when it was dying in battle? That alone would have almost certainly saved its life. Besides, this creature had been an Arrancar when it was 'alive.' There were no records of any Arrancar being able to do anything like what Mayuri's specimen had done, and though it was true that the original possessor of the ability was an anomaly herself, Arrancar were not natural beings but synthetic ones. Any kind of mutation would not have been possible given the strict conditions under which they were created by the Hōgyoku.

Mayuri was familiar with the powers that Ulquiorra Schiffer had possessed when he was alive. Regeneration had definitely been one of them, as confirmed by multiple witnesses, but the the Arrancar had allegedly stated in plain terms that it did not operate on an internal level. Yet here its corpse was, repairing itself. And apparently it was doing more than that, as evidenced by the marks on the walls of the lab. It had leveled to a stagnant state now, remaining completely still behind the shield, but Mayuri couldn't help but wonder how or why it had moved.

Looking at its vacant green eyes, Mayuri suppressed a sigh. It would be so much better if he could actually approach the subject and just dissect it for answers, but the shield remained in the way. If only he knew how to dismantle it, then…

"Oh, of course!" remarked Mayuri aloud, smiling. The scientist jumped to his feet, suddenly reinvigorated. "Nemu!" he shouted, lurid face paint creasing as his grin widened. "Bring me my things, and go wait at the Senkaimon! It's time to make a visit to see our favorite friends in Karakura Town."

 

+

 

_Karakura High, approximately twelve pm_

Orihime rested her head in her hands, and let her eyes flutter closed. She was trying to be a good student, but it was becoming more and more difficult as the lesson progressed. No matter how much she reminded herself that she needed to receive good grades in order to get into a good university, conic sections stayed boring as ever.

Orihime forced her eyes back open, and looked back up at the chalkboard in one final attempt to pay attention to the lesson. Upon seeing the complicated equations, she groaned internally, and closed her eyes again. It was no use – nothing would make precalculus interesting, not even the prospect of flunking out of high school.

It didn't help that she was preoccupied with thoughts of the mystery she and her friends were embroiled in, ones that buzzed in the back of her head and refused to abate. She had tried to follow Urahara's advice and simply dispel them from her mind, but she found out after several sleepless nights that she could not, much to her chagrin. Even as she willed herself to drift off into unconsciousness and tried to stop thinking, Ulquiorra's face from her nightmare lingered. There had been something so nostalgic about his expression; maybe it was the way his lip had been curled in disgust, eyes cold as ever. Orihime didn't like to think about the verbal abuse he had dished out to her in the dream, but she couldn't help but notice that the disapproving look on his face while he reprimanded her was was the same as it had been in Hueco Mundo.

A light flush fanned across her cheeks. It was shameful, but even thinking about his scientific gaze caused her heart to race. She could never admit it to anyone, of course, not even Tatsuki. It was just minor physical attraction, paling in comparison to her former feelings for Ichigo. Still, though, she loathed herself for it; she couldn't bear to think about what the others would think of her if they knew.

 _It doesn't matter anyways, because he's dead_ , she reasoned to herself, sobering at that grim thought. It seemed that the permanence of death had become an unfortunate theme for the past several weeks in Karakura Town. Just the previous day she had discovered that the boy she had lent her umbrella to didn't steal it, as she and Tatsuki had suspected. He hadn't actually made it that far, because he had died mere minutes after their conversation. It was disconcerting to imagine that she had been one of his last memories, and she hoped somewhat selfishly that it had at least been a good one.

Urahara had promised that he would investigate the deaths of the students, and, true to his word, he had looked into them. Answers were obviously more elusive than he initially thought, though, and he had discovered nothing that he deemed noteworthy enough to share with Orihime and her friends as of yet. She didn't doubt that he was doing his best, but she frequently found herself wondering when the next attack would be and what exactly he or the other Shinigami in the group would do to stop another death.

 _It's not like_ I  _can do anything,_ she thought morosely.  _I'm useless without the use of the Rikka. I just wish that I could help…_

Suddenly, the bell rang, its shrill tone bringing Orihime out of her thoughts. She looked up at the clock and was surprised to find that half an hour had passed since she zoned out, and turned her gaze briefly to the board to see a wide range of new topics written out in shaky white letters.

"Oh no," she murmured to herself, tugging at a strand of her long, red hair. "I'm definitely going to fail this test."

+

 

_Las Noches, Hueco Mundo, approximately one pm_

It was Saturday, and Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck was loving life. In a surprising show of leniency, Harribel had given the top commanding officers the day off, temporarily installing lower ranked members to fulfill their duties.

Nel didn't mind the majority of her responsibilities, and pissing Grimmjow off made even the more boring tasks much more fun than they would have been otherwise, but there was one thing that she despised: waking up at five in the morning. She had never been a morning person, and Grimmjow's rough voice was more annoying than funny before at least nine am. That didn't stop her from annoying the crap out of him, but it did limit her schadenfreude enjoyment of his anger. The day off allowed her to get some much needed rest, which in turn would make irritating Grimmjow that much more awesome to behold for at least a week afterwards.

She had planned to wake up at ten thirty, but she slept through the reminders she set the night before, so she was now only getting out of bed at one in the afternoon. It was absolutely glorious to have that kind of freedom.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, and stood up, meandering out of her quarters and to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. Although she was still half asleep, she was alert enough to realize that people in the hallway were shooting her strange looks. She examined her hands and smelled under her armpits surreptitiously to try and ascertain why they were looking at her so weirdly, but could sense nothing out of the ordinary.

Shrugging it off, she rubbed at her eyes and continued walking. When she arrived at the bathroom, she got out her hairbrush from her bag of toiletries and 'beauty essentials' and began to brush through her messy pink hair.

 _Wait,_ she thought to herself, realization dawning on her.  _Pink?_  She looked at the mirror and, to her horror, her hair had become a violent shade of pink. There was only one person who could be responsible for such a heinous crime.

"GRIMMJOW!" she bellowed, hands planted firmly on her hips. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"


	10. Chapter 10

_Las Noches, Hueco Mundo, one year before present. Approximately ten thirty pm_

Orihime sat on the oversized couch, staring intently at the ground. She would never say it aloud, but she had to admit that the room she had been assigned to wasn't… terrible. It was definitely bigger than her own back in Karakura Town, and even had some rudimentary furniture items, like a miniature silver desk and matching chair. Orihime shook her head, and her brows furrowed. Despite her nicer than anticipated room, she doubted that she would ever feel comfortable in the desolate palace of Las Noches. It had been hours since she had arrived and her heart still thrummed with adrenaline underneath her stiff uniform.

She sighed, and looked up at the looming wall. One of the crueler features her room had been outfitted with was a small barred window, which she suspected had been placed there just to make her miss home even more. The view should have been beautiful, but the vast desert of Hueco Mundo was lifeless underneath the moonlit sky, and not for the first time she wished that she could be back in her shoddy apartment with Rangiku and Toshiro. It wasn't much – her aunt couldn't to pay for afford a proper house, like some of her friends had – but at least it was vibrant, practically overflowing with her guests' laughter and happiness. Orihime wondered how they were faring without her. Surely they had found her instructions by now, but… did they  _miss_ her? Did  _Ichigo_  miss her?

At the thought of Ichigo, Orihime bit her lip. What she had nearly done had been wrong, she knew that. It had been unfair to declare her feelings to him when he was asleep in the first place, especially when she knew that he would undoubtedly be confused when he awoke to find his injuries healed and her missing, but to almost kiss him was crossing a serious line. She knew he probably didn't reciprocate her feelings, yet she had been presumptuous enough to force them on him without his knowledge. Even so, she couldn't help but wonder whether he was worried about her, or if he had even noticed that she was gone at all.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a low grumble. Orihime looked around only to realize that her stomach had emitted the noise, much to her embarrassment. She hadn't eaten anything since her kidnapping, which she only now realized had been almost a full day ago. Was Aizen planning to starve her in exchange for information?

A sharp knock on the massive door interrupted her theorizing, and Orihime was drawn sharply out of her thoughts. "I'm coming in," a dull voice announced. Before she could reply, the door swung open to reveal the figure of her captor standing in its imposing frame. Behind him, an attendant stood, hands resting on a large cart of food.

Orihime scrambled to her feet, heart beating heavily in her chest. "U-ulquiorra-san," she stuttered, bowing her head ever so slightly to avoid looking at him. Just the sight of the Arrancar made her nervous. He wasn't unpleasant to look at, but his deadpan expression made her uncomfortable. She had never met anyone like that, whose emptiness made her want to turn tail and flee when he was nearby. He was so different from Ichigo, who expressed himself so readily, who was passionate about the things he loved. No… this man was alien, incomprehensible, absurd.

Still, though, it was rude to ignore him when he was doing her a favor and bringing her food. She looked up hesitantly, meeting eyes with the stony-faced Arrancar. His expression was emotionless, as per usual, but she felt like he knew exactly what she was thinking. Unwittingly, a flush rose to her cheeks. It was strange to have someone's eyes fixed so fully on hers. She had never had someone examine her so thoroughly before.

"This is how your meals will be delivered, woman," he said finally, analytical gaze unwavering. "You will eat what Aizen-sama gives to you. I will see them to you personally as frequently as is necessary. Aizen-sama has ordered me to report on your progress, so I am monitoring you for the time being. You will obey the instructions Aizen-sama gives to you, and therefore those that I give you as well. Do not attempt to leave this room without supervision, or you will be punished."

Orihime's brows furrowed lightly, and she retorted, "No one has explained to me why I'm here or what I'm supposed to be doing, so how can I make any progress?"

Ulquiorra's cold green eyes bored into hers, and he said, without missing a single beat, "Do not ask stupid questions, woman. It is not your place to ask about things that are none of your concern. If there is information you need to know, I will deliver it to you at Aizen's behest."

Righteous anger flared within Orihime, and she was about to respond when he turned on his heel and left, hands shoved deep in his pockets. The aide looked at her apologetically before following, letting the door slam shut behind him.

Just as soon as it had appeared, Orihime's anger dissipated. She sank back down onto the bed, dazed. She couldn't believe that she had just snapped at someone who held her and her friends' lives in the palm of his hand. He hadn't seemed fazed by her show of rebelliousness, but the consequences could have been disastrous.

"I have to try to go along with what Aizen tells me to do," she reminded herself. "I have to do it for Kurosaki-kun, and Tatsuki-chan, and everyone who's waiting for me at home. Even if I have to do what that man orders, it's not because I want to. It's because I need to."

She nodded resolutely, and got to her feet again. Though she hadn't noticed before, she was glad that the cart was still in her room. "At least dinner is still here," she remarked to herself, lips quirking into a small smile. "Let's eat, I'm starving!"

 

+

 

_Karakura High, present. Approximately three pm_

Orihime was dozing off in class when the bell rang, signaling the end of the period. She was glad to have a free period and not another class, because she had been half-asleep the entire day. She wasn't proud to admit that the other half had been spent reflecting on the events that had occurred in Karakura Town over the past several weeks, and not on her schoolwork. She knew she couldn't lag behind on her studies, but her mind always gravitated to the horrific situation unfolding whether she wanted it to or not.

She stood and gathered her stuff, sliding her neatly organized notebooks into her bag. Tatsuki had karate, Ichigo had another class period, and the rest of their friends had already gone home for the day, so it was going to be a solitary walk to her apartment. She had become so accustomed to being surrounded by friends that going home alone felt strange, which seemed odd to her. Before she had gone to Hueco Mundo, she had walked home by herself nearly every day. These days, she was seldom alone.

Orihime frowned as she realized that she was probably flanked so heavily because of her kidnapping. She was lucky to have such loyal friends, but she felt like she was dragging them down. They definitely had better things to do than looking after her; all she was doing was contributing to their already heavy burdens.

"That changes today," she announced happily. "I'm going to prove to them that they don't have to help me all the time!"

A few classmates shot her weird looks, and Orihime blushed. She hadn't meant to say that aloud. Her classmates already thought she was odd enough after disappearing for seven months over an inexplicable 'illness.' Making strange declarations out of nowhere was not helping her reputation.

In a hurry to avoid further public humiliation, Orihime rushed out the door, bag slung haphazardly over her shoulder. A few minutes later, after she had escaped from the judgement of her peers, she reached the main road, and started on her journey home.

"That was embarrassing," she said aloud, giggling to herself. "At least Kuchiki-san acts weirder than I do. I still can't figure out why she uses that voice in school!"

"She probably doesn't want to be detected, Inoue-san," said an eerily familiar voice from behind her.

Orihime whirled around to see a tall man in heavy blue makeup leaning on a nearby tree, his busty companion nearby as always. "Kurotsuchi-san," she exclaimed, relieved. "I didn't notice you! And Nemu-san, as well! You really scared me!"

Mayuri grinned broadly. "Oh, relax," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "I didn't mean any harm. Nemu and I were actually trying to find you, so we were just as surprised to see you!"

Orihime blinked quizzically. She hadn't spent any time with Mayuri before now, and from what she knew of him, he wasn't to seek anyone out. Other people went to him with their problems, not the other way around. Finally, she bit the bullet and asked, "You were looking for me? Why?"

Mayuri's garish grin widened. "Why don't you accompany us back through the Senkaimon and visit our lab? I can explain once we arrive."

Orihime got the feeling that this was less a request and more an order, and though she was reluctant to go, she knew that Mayuri would probably make her accompany him no matter what she said. "Okay," she agreed warily. "I'll go with you, Kurotsuchi-san."

"Excellent," he replied. "Nemu! Go help our guest with her things. We want to make her as comfortable as possible."

 

+

 

_Las Noches, Hueco Mundo, approximately five pm_

Nel sat cross-legged on her bed, re-reading a chapter of a book she had been recommended by Mila Rose. There wasn't much good literature around Hueco Mundo, not after Grimmjow had impulsively burned Aizen's library, so she took what she could get. The book was actually pretty interesting, for once. It was a standard romance novel, but heavily featured two characters who were a 'vampire' and a 'werewolf' respectively. Nel was less interested in the romantic relationship between the insipid female protagonist and her various mythical babes than she was in the creatures the author had created. Nel had lived as a Hollow and then as an Arrancar for many years, but she had never heard of these fascinating species.

"Yo, Nel," a gruff voice called from behind the door. "Lemme in. It's freezing out here."

Nel groaned, and placed her book down on the bed. "Coming!" she hollered, jogging over to the door. She twisted the knob to reveal Grimmjow on the other side, shivering intensely. "Why are you so cold?" she asked, brows raised. "We live in a desert, Grimmjow."

"Shaddap," he said. "Sharkface had me on patrol all day today. I had to go all the way to the outskirts of Hueco Mundo. It's practically frozen out there." He looked her up and down, and smirked. "Well, hey! You're looking surprisingly green today."

Nel scowled, and shut the door behind him, making her way back to the bed. "That's no thanks to you, asshole. It took me three hours to get the dye out of my hair. I don't think I'll ever trust you again."

Grimmjow threw his head back and laughed. "I told you I'd be getting my revenge. I don't think you can top that, so don't even try to get me back." He flopped back onto her bed, and noticed the abandoned book laying on her pillow. "What's this? I didn't know you knew how to read, kiddo."

Nel rolled her eyes. "Obviously I can read, Grimmjow. I'm a Vasto Lorde, so watch your tone around me,  _kiddo_." She stuck her tongue out at her companion, before continuing, "The book is fascinating, though! I just finished it. It's all about these undiscovered species being hidden from a community – the author invented them all by herself, too. There's some romance, but it's really minor. You should give it a read!"

Grimmjow scrunched up his nose, and shook his head. "Nah. Twilight is a stupid name. Sounds cool, though."

Nel shrugged, and replied, "Your loss. I'm gonna give it to Harribel-sama. She asked me about it the other day, and I promised I would lend it to her when I finished reading. You coming?"

Grimmjow let out a pained grunt. "I just got here. Do I really have to leave?"

Nel was already halfway out the door of her quarters when she turned to look back at him. "Suit yourself. I'll be back soon."

Grimmjow jumped to his feet, and said desperately, "Alright, alright! I'm coming, jeez!"


	11. Chapter 11

_Las Noches, Hueco Mundo. Ten months before the present. Approximately twelve thirty am_

Orihime stood at the window, hands clutching the elaborate skirts of her uniform. She had been awake for countless hours, but she could not bring herself to go to bed. Not when everyone from home, all of her beloved friends, were making the treacherous journey to Hueco Mundo to rescue her.

She stifled a sob, and released the crumpled white fabric. She had dared to hope, desperately, that they would be safe at home; after all, Aizen had gone to great lengths to make her seem like a traitor. But they were too loyal, too good - she should have known that they would come after her regardless of whether she was a traitor or not.

"Kurosaki-kun," she whispered, voice wavering, "please, turn back now. If you can hear me at all, or sense my voice – please, please just go home. There's nothing for you here but pain and darkness." She paused to take a shuddering breath, tears now flowing freely down her face, before continuing, "If you d-die, then I w-won't be able to carry on any longer."

From somewhere behind her, a steady knock on the door sounded. "I'm coming in," declared a low, monotone voice. Orihime spun around just in time to see the door open and Ulquiorra enter.

"H-hello, Ulquiorra-san," she said, attempting to steady her tone. "I – um, I didn't hear you come in." She hastily wiped her tears with her sleeve, hoping that he had not seen her puffy face. It would only give him more ammunition if he knew how despondent and lost she was feeling.

Ulquiorra, if he noticed her crying, said nothing about it. "You have not finished your dinner," he said, instead. "This is not the first time that this has happened. I will stay here until you eat the entirety of your meal, as you clearly cannot do it on your own."

Orihime frowned. She had been trying to finish everything that had been given to her, but she found it difficult to eat when she was so worried. She averted her eyes to the ground, and said quietly, "I'm doing my best, but sometimes it's too much for me."

Ulquiorra stared her down, unreadable eyes fixed on her face. After a few moments' silence, he said, "I am not responsible for your emotional wellbeing. If you have a problem, resolve it by yourself. You  _will_ finish your meal, if not for your own health then because Aizen-sama has commanded it."

Orihime swallowed, and shook her head. "I can't eat this food, not while Kurosaki-san and the rest of them are out there. I need – I need to know if they're safe, I can't just be here and do nothing!" As she blinked, tears rolled down her hot cheeks, much to her dismay. Ulquiorra was already annoyed with her; there was no telling what he would say now that she had blatantly disrespected him.

The Arrancar did nothing for several seconds, observing the crying girl before him. Then, he turned and walked out of the room, shutting the door silently behind him.

Orihime let out a shaky breath she hadn't known she had been holding, and stared at the space that her captor had occupied seconds before in bewilderment. "Okay," she whispered to herself. "I…I think I need to sit down." She made her way over to the couch slowly, unsteady on her feet.

A few minutes later, there were more raps at the door. Orihime looked up to see Ulquiorra entering again, an aide in tow. "Ulquiorra-san?" she said, stunned. "I thought –"

"You thought incorrectly," interrupted Ulquiorra, voice flat. "I have provided for you some tea, and a book from Aizen-sama's personal library, as obviously you are incapable of regulating your own emotions. When you are done, finish the meal – I will leave only when everything on the plate has been eaten. Do not make me regret this decision, woman."

Orihime's heart pounded in her chest, and a deep flush rose to her cheeks. "I don't – I mean, um. T-thank you, Ulquiorra-san," she stuttered, looking intently at her elaborate shoes.

The aide wheeled over the cart to the couch, and handed her the steaming cup of tea. Orihime took it from him, gently fingering the ceramic handle. She stared into its murky depths, and said, "Thank you."

The aide nodded curtly, and wheeled the tray out of the room, leaving the dinner cart behind. Orihime didn't look up, but she heard the door close as he left. Ulquiorra stood mere feet from her, his pale face bathed in the harsh moonlight. She realized that, for all that it mattered, they were alone together.

Orihime bit her lip, resolutely avoiding her captor's gaze. He was absolutely incomprehensible – one moment he was so cold, telling her that her friends would die on their journey to rescue her, and the other he was delivering things to her room to comfort her when she was upset.  _Either way, if I drag this out, I'll annoy him even more,_ she thought, taking a sip of the tea. She was pleasantly surprised by the taste – it was minty, but nothing like the cheap brew that she bought from the convenience store around the corner. "This is delicious, Ulquiorra-san," she said, daring to lift her head and make eye contact with the stoic Hollow.

"It was not difficult to prepare," said Ulquiorra. "I assume that you've never had it before."

Orihime shook her head, and said sheepishly, "I can't afford tea this nice. Back home, I can only buy store-brand. It's not bad, but  _this…_  this is amazing."

Ulquiorra leveled a dispassionate glance at the cup, and replied, "It's not a tea you can find in the stores that human trash frequent. The leaves are from a plant that only grows in Hueco Mundo. It is through the abilities of the Espada Zommari that we are able to cultivate it."

"Zommari," she repeated slowly, rolling the name around in her mouth. "That's interesting. I didn't think anything could grow here."

Ulquiorra's lips twitched for a moment, but he looked away too quickly for Orihime to read his expression. When his eyes met hers a moment later, they were chillingly empty. "Finish your meal quickly," he said. "Aizen-sama prefers when you are well rested, and you have already taken up far too much of my time tonight."

Orihime's brows furrowed, and she said quietly, "Okay."

The rest of the meal was finished in silence.

 

+

 

_Seireitei, Soul Society, present. Approximately six am_

Mayuri led the small group through the 12th Division's barracks, explaining the various buildings animatedly to his companions. Orihime walked several paces behind him, arms wrapped tightly around herself to stave off the cold. Nemu, school bag slung over her narrow shoulders, flanked them, seemingly unfazed by the strong winds.

After a few minutes of guided tour, Mayuri stopped in front of a large wooden gate, embossed with gold lettering. "Here we are," he announced loudly. "The Shinigami Research and Development Institute."

"It's so  _big_ ," said Orihime, eyes widening at the sight of the sprawling block of buildings.

"Well said, Inoue-san," remarked Mayuri. "Now, if you'd be so kind as to follow me, I would  _love_ to show you to the lab."

Orihime nodded, and began to walk towards the Institute. Mayuri lagged behind a moment, waiting for Nemu to catch up with him. When she did, he hissed in her ear, "When we get inside, show her to my office. I'll be in the lab, monitoring the specimen. I don't want her to see it just yet."

Nemu nodded briskly. "Yes, Mayuri-sama."

Mayuri beamed, and patted her on the back. "Excellent. You'll see, Nemu – we'll figure out what exactly this creature is doing."

Orihime paused at the building's entrance, waiting for the Captain and his lieutenant to catch up. There was no doubt in her mind that they were discussing her, but all she knew was that it probably had to do with the mysterious reason she was brought there in the first place. There was no point in asking Mayuri - she doubted he would tell her the truth, and she didn't want to risk irritating the powerful Captain. She wasn't sure how much he liked her even now, and she  _definitely_  didn't want to end up on his bad side.

Mayuri joined her in front of the Institute and grinned, yellow teeth standing out against his navy face paint. "I have to make a brief detour, so Nemu will lead you to my office," he said. "If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask her."

"Okay," responded Orihime, smiling hesitantly at Mayuri. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"Oh, no need to thank me," said Mayuri. "In fact,  _I_ should thank you. This visit should prove enlightening for the both of us." He strolled towards the doors, and opened them dramatically. "After you," he said with facetious chivalry, holding them open for her and Nemu, who had caught up to the pair.

"I'll show you to Mayuri-sama's office," said Nemu emotionlessly, walking with Orihime through the opened doors. "Follow me."

"You two have fun!" yelled Mayuri as he sauntered into the building, taking a sharp right down the Institute's cavernous hallways.

The two women walked in the opposite direction to Mayuri, finally stopping in front of a large steel door. "We've arrived," said Nemu, pushing open the door for her companion.

Orihime stood for a moment in awe, examining the huge room. She now understood why Mayuri liked it so much – it was outfitted with a giant organ, a series of computers, and a swivel chair. There was nothing she could conceive in her mind that would better fit a mad scientist.

"Sit down," said Nemu, gesturing to the swivel chair. "Mayuri-sama will join us shortly."

 

+

 

Mayuri descended down the stairs of the Institute, unable to contain his excitement. If he could discover how his specimen was regenerating itself, he could build new Arrancar from preexisting cells with ease. He knew how to bring them back to life, of course; that was easy. But to create  _new_  life as easily as this creature was doing it? That would be the discovery of a lifetime.

Upon reaching the entry to the lab, Mayuri rushed through the door to the glass screen to examine the body from afar. It had completely regenerated, from its curled horns to its clawed feet, and its eyes were open, staring vacantly at the lab's ceiling. More interesting than the growth of the Arrancar, however, was the growth of the shield – it was glowing more intensely than ever before, and had expanded in its breadth. Mayuri crossed through the doors, and approached the apparatus in which the specimen was being contained. The shield was presumably still completely impenetrable, which was annoying. Still, though, it did call some interesting thoughts to mind. Mayuri had brought Orihime Inoue in order to bring it down, but it seemed to have gotten even stronger with her arrival.

Mayuri paused in his inspection of the shield. If the girl were here, then it would be easier to determine her effect on it. He still was apprehensive to actually show her the specimen, but if she were close enough, then her impact on its growth could still be observed.

He strode out of the lab and over to his office, where he found Nemu and Orihime sitting in awkward silence. "Inoue-san," he said, catching her attention. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Would you like to come downstairs for a moment, to see my private labs?"

Orihime almost jumped at the sound of the scientist's voice. Nemu was many things, but a conversationalist was definitely not one of them. They hadn't exchanged a single word for nearly ten minutes. "Of course," she said. She didn't really want to see the lab, but she got the feeling that Mayuri wasn't really asking.

"Wonderful," said Mayuri. "Come with me, then." He shot a meaningful glance to Nemu, and added, "You too, Nemu."

The trio walked down the hallway, and down the winding staircase leading to Mayuri's private labs. "I'm going to have to ask you to wait here, Inoue-san," said Mayuri, as they reached a large black door. "Nemu, keep our esteemed guest company. We wouldn't want her to be alone."

Nemu nodded. "Of course, Mayuri-sama."

Mayuri grinned, and opened the door, allowing himself just enough room to slip through. As soon as it shut behind him, he was at the glass screen. As he had suspected, the shield was effulgent, radiating hot orange light. It had expanded to cover almost half of the small laboratory, guarding the creature from view. This could only mean one thing. Orihime Inoue was –

From outside the lab, Mayuri heard a loud thump. "What is it, Nemu?" he yelled. Before he could turn around, however, he noticed something. In the time since he had heard the noise, the shield surrounding the specimen had lost its unnatural, and had shrunk to only about half of its initial size.

"It seems Inoue-san has fainted, Mayuri-sama," said Nemu, opening the door. She was telling the truth – Orihime had crumpled to the ground, face red and sweaty, uniform now rumpled.

"Take her upstairs," said Mayuri absently, after looking briefly at his unconscious guest. "I think I've discovered how our specimen is regenerating."

 

+

 

_Hueco Mundo, approximately seven am_

Nel walked at the front of the patrol, long blue hair pulled up in a tight bun. She was outfitted in full Arrancar garb, foregoing her usual shorts and short-sleeved top. Normally she wouldn't have dressed for battle just to go on patrol, but there had been several violent attacks by starving Hollows over the past several, and she didn't particularly want to die just yet.

Grimmjow, who was trailing several steps behind, jogged up to meet her. "Yo, Nel," he greeted. "Have you had time to consult with Sharkface-in-chief recently?"

Nel turned to him, and sighed dramatically. "For the last time, Grimmjow,  _don't call her that!_  But actually, to answer your question, I haven't. I've been busy with patrols all day, every day."

Grimmjow frowned, and began tentatively, "Me neither. This is so stupid, but I…" he paused, and shook his head in frustration. "I'm worried about her, alright? She's been so busy, dealing with the fluctuations. I'm not… usually like this, but somethin' about it is just rubbing me the wrong way."

"You know, you're actually kind of right, for once," said Nel pensively. "Come to think of it, I haven't met with her in ages. Do you think we should schedule a meeting?"

Grimmjow shook his head, and said, "Nah, I just think –" His words were drowned out by a loud rumble emanating from somewhere beneath the patrol, shaking across the entirety of Hueco Mundo.

Nel grabbed his arm, alarmed. "What's going on?" she yelled, struggling to make herself heard above the din.

"I don't know," shouted Grimmjow, "but I sure as fuck don't like it!"


	12. Chapter 12

_Seireitei, Soul Society. Approximately eight am_

Orihime awoke, inexplicably, to the sound of dripping water. It was strange, because the faucet in her house didn't usually…

 _Oh,_ she thought, taking in the room around her.  _That actually makes sense._  She wasn't at her house, of course – she was visiting the lab with Mayuri Kurotsuchi and his daughter, or at least she had been before she'd fallen asleep. Orihime rubbed her groggy eyes as her sleep addled mind sharpened, and her blurry memories took shape.  _Fallen asleep is probably the wrong word_ , she decided after a moment's reflection.  _Fainted might fit the description a little bit better._

That had been strange, right? Of course it was  _embarrassing_  that she'd passed out like that during a meeting with someone as important as Mayuri, but more importantly than that it was weird. She wasn't normally prone to fainting spells, or anything like that; she didn't have anemia, and she tried to keep a fairly balanced diet in spite of her (admittedly unfortunate) budgetary constraints.

"So the patient has at long last awakened," came a teasing voice from the doorway. Orihime looked over to see Mayuri leaning against the frame, one hand braced against the white wall and the other stroking his chin ornament. "I was beginning to wonder whether I'd get to use you as a cadaver in the lab."

Orihime laughed nervously, but didn't reply. She didn't want to give him reason to take her up on that thought, after all. Of course she knew rationally that he was an esteemed member of the Gotei 13 and wouldn't actually hurt her (at least not right in the center of the Seireitei; apparently he'd done some pretty ludicrous things during the Winter War), but she couldn't help but doubt his intentions at times. There was something about the deliberacy of his phrasing that unnerved her – it seemed as if he knew exactly the effect his words would have before he even said them, and the thought of someone being able to manipulate her without so much as a second's pause sent her skin crawling.

"I'm sorry about what happened, Kurotsuchi-san," she said instead, smiling sheepishly up at Mayuri. "I've been feeling really drained recently, and I definitely haven't been sleeping enough. I just didn't think it was that bad."

Mayuri sighed and tutted at her, wagging a chastising finger in her direction. "Eat your vegetables, Inoue-san – they're good for you. Changing the subject slightly, I have a treat for you. Come downstairs – I think you're going to like what I'm about to show you."

 

+

 

_Las Noches, Hueco Mundo. Nine months before the present. Approximately eight pm_

In the absence of human interaction, Orihime daydreamed. She imagined what her friends were doing back in Karakura Town – she thought of Tatsuki-chan running down the track with a sweaty towel slung over her muscled shoulders, of Kurosaki-kun puzzling over his math homework, of Kuchiki-san laughing with Kurosaki-kun's sisters in their living room. And she would try to smile when she fantasized about their happy lives without her, but the images always left painful pangs in their wake, bitter and ugly.

 _Loneliness,_ she told herself at nighttime, staring between the bars of her window at the starless sky of Hueco Mundo.  _It's called loneliness._

Still, loneliness was better than the paralyzing fear the alternative option presented. She would rather rot in a jail cell for the rest of her life at the mercy of Aizen and his army than have her friends walk right into a trap just to save her.

That's what she dreamt of when she slept, hot tears leaking onto the plush couch. The guilt weighed down her shoulders, invading her space and wrapping around her like a snake, poised to choke at any moment. She stayed awake as long as she could these days, just to get a reprieve from the horrifying nightmares. The lack of sleep was taking its toll on her, though. Dark circles sloped under her eyes like bruises and her thick orange hair was becoming brittle and stringy, even though she showered as often as she was allowed.

The nameless, silent aides said nothing about her deteriorating condition if they noticed, and the only other person she saw regularly was Aizen, who spent his weekly visits with her attempting to cajole her into using her powers for one thing or another. There was also Ulquiorra, but he'd been away for what felt like weeks, and she didn't know when or if he'd be returning.

It was strange – somehow, she missed him as much as she hated him. He was cold and brusque, but the absence of him felt like a wound. And after so much time without him, it was infected.

Three knocks on the door marked the arrival of dinner. Orihime looked up from her lap, and was about to divert her attention back to her fantasies when she saw Ulquiorra, accompanied by a Numerós pushing the dinner cart.

"Ulquiorra-san," she said, rising abruptly to her feet. "I–"

"You are expected to take care of your basic needs, woman," he said, striding forwards to examine her more closely. He frowned in distaste upon seeing her sallow face, and said, "This level of incompetence is not to be tolerated by Aizen-sama. If you do not sleep of your own accord, then we will resort to methods that you will not like. When I next return, I expect you to be well-rested. I have already indulged you once – I will not do it again."

The aide bowed curtly and left, unbothered by the scene unfolding in front of him. Ulquiorra turned to follow, hands shoved deep in the pockets of his robes.

Panic flared within her. Unable to help herself, Orihime lurched towards him and grabbed the edge of his sleeve. "Please don't leave," she pleaded, clinging onto the soft fabric. "I don't want to be alone anymore."

Ulquiorra's green eyes registered no emotion as he grasped her wrist with surprising force and pulled it from his uniform. "I have no desire to satisfy whatever human desires you may have, woman," he said, black lip curled in disgust. His nails digging into her skin hard enough to bruise, leaving red crescents in their wake. "Fulfill your duties as you have been instructed. I will return tomorrow."

He tightened his grip once more, hands constricting painfully around her thin wrist, before relinquishing his hold. Satisfied, he turned on his heel and left, letting the door swing shut in his wake.

Overwhelmed, Orihime collapsed onto the couch. Her wrist was alight with sensation from his long fingers, the faint mark they'd left burning her skin like a brand. A familiar heat curled low in her belly, sending ripples of excitement in a pulse through her body.

"I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun," she whispered, dragging her fingers over the redness on her wrists. "I really don't deserve to be saved after all."

 

+

 

_Seireitei, Soul Society, present. Approximately eight ten am_

Orihime descended down the staircase leading to the underground lab, eyes fixed nervously on the back of Mayuri's head. She knew enough about him to realize that this 'present' probably wasn't anything to be thankful for, but she wasn't sure what she'd done to make herself a target. She'd only met him a few times prior to the Winter War, and while there were probably many Shinigami who resented her due to her involvement in the conflict, she doubted Mayuri was one of them.

A familiar set of doors came into view below, but before she could see what lay beyond them Mayuri turned to face her, effectively blocking the path to the lab. "Tut tut, Inoue-san," he said, pouting exaggeratedly. "You see, I'm a fairly generous man, but if I'm going to give you your gift, then you need to do something for me in return."

Orihime bit her lip. This was exactly what she'd been waiting for – the catch. At least he was being somewhat upfront about it. "W-what kind of thing do you want me to do, Kurotsuchi-san?" she asked hesitantly. Truth be told, she thought she might not want to see whatever surprise he'd found for her if it meant she'd be a victim of one of his experiments, at least not after contemplating what kind of bodily modifications he'd perform on her if she ever ended up on his operating table.

Mayuri's pout melted into a toothy yellow smile. "It's quite simple, really," he explained. "Try to activate your hairpins – I'd  _love_ to see that power of yours up close. It's quite unique."

Orihime was a little taken aback. She'd definitely used it in front of him at least once before, and he hadn't expressed an interest in it. But even if this sudden interest were genuine, she couldn't show it to him. "I can't," she admitted, averting her eyes from Mayuri's probing gaze. "They haven't worked properly in months, at least not since… Not since I returned from Hueco Mundo."

Mayuri's grin didn't falter. "Oh, c'mon," he said. "Just give it a try."

Orihime frowned. She'd tried to get Tsubaki and the rest of her fairies to react countless times since her return to Karakura Town, but no matter what she did they remained dormant and unresponsive. There was nothing here that would make them change their minds, or anything. Still, even though she didn't really want to, it wasn't like doing what Mayuri asked would hurt anybody. She had no real reason not to oblige, especially if it meant she'd see whatever 'gift' he was hiding in the lab. She took a deep breath, and said, "Okay, uh… Souten Kisshun!"

Much to her surprise, the hairpins began to emit orange light, and they soared from their place behind her ear to form a somewhat small but still functional shield in front of her.

If Mayuri's grin had been kind of creepy before, it was downright lascivious now. "Excellent," he said, clapping his hands together in excitement. "Just as I anticipated. Well, Inoue-san, thank you for your compliance. Now I think it's time I give you your reward, no?"

Orihime didn't reply, staring in wonder at the shield before her. It wasn't up to par with the kind of work she'd been doing before the war, but it was certainly  _something_.

"Inoue-sannnnn," cooed Mayuri, tapping his wrist as if to mime wearing a watch. "I don't mean to hurry you, but time  _is_ money. Chop chop."

"Right," she said distractedly, still transfixed by the shield. "Sorry."

Mayuri waved her off and continued down the stairs, stopping right in front of the doors. Orihime tore her eyes from the hairpins, recalling them and sliding them back behind her ears to be examined later, and followed suit. She tried to peek behind him into the lab, but thick drapes covered the glass, keeping the room's contents shrouded in mystery. An uncomfortable pit formed in her stomach as she realized that someone had to have lowered them while she was unconscious; they hadn't been hanging when she visited the downstairs area with Nemu, which couldn't have been more than ten minutes ago.

"I'll provide a little explanation before we go in, just so you'll understand what it is you're looking at. What you are about to witness is something entirely of your own making, Inoue-san," said Mayuri, gesturing grandly at the steel door. "You see, those hairpins of yours have developed more than you anticipated. Our previous understanding of their functionality is that they trigger in response to your command, which you so kindly demonstrated for me. But you yourself told me that they hadn't activated in months, so… Tell me, Inoue-san – why would they activate now?"

Orihime shook her head helplessly, and said, "I don't know, but I promise they haven't done anything until now. I'm not lying – I  _swear_  I tried everything I could think of."

Mayuri shook his head and continued, thrilled, "And I believe you, Inoue-san! I really do. You're probably thinking about how much of a failure you are right now – your one power, and you can't even use it. But that's not true at all. See, what you've achieved is the  _next level_ of development. One more question if you will, though I think I already know the answer. Who gave you those pins?"

Bewildered, Orihime replied, "M-my brother, Sora? He died in a car crash shortly after, and I've been wearing them ever since."

Mayuri clapped his hands together in excitement and said, "Well done, Inoue-san –  _well done_. You really are the perfect specimen; you prove all my theories right. Well,  _now_ I can tell you all about this mystery. My hypothesis is that the bond with your hairpins – and, by extension, with the creatures that live within them – was so strong that you were able to forge somewhat of a mental link between you and them. While you might not have been conscious of it, they were attuned to your mind, and thus understood not only verbal commands but nonverbal ones, too." He put on an exaggerated frown, wagging his finger in her face. "And let me just say that you, little miss Orihime, have chosen a rather unsuitable Hikoboshi. I suppose that is the point, but… Oooh, if I were you I would  _not_  be quick to tell the other Captains about what we've got hidden back there."

"I – I don't understand," said Orihime, stumbling over her words in an effort to keep up with the scientist's rapid pace. "I never gave them any nonverbal commands, or anything like that. And what does Tanabata have to do with this, Mayuri-san?"

"Your mind doesn't consist only of your thoughts, Inoue-san," he explained, tapping his temple. "It's also your emotions. At the time of activation, you must have felt so strongly that you needed to interfere that your hairpins did it instinctively. You told me that you've been drained recently, right? Well, of course you are – all your energy has been going towards maintaining the shields until their job was complete."

Orihime nodded, dazed. "I think I… kind of understand that part. But," she said, brow furrowed, "where was the energy being channeled? I thought Kurosaki-kun and them resolved everything when the war ended. Are there really still things going on?"

Mayuri's smile grew, creasing his elaborate facepaint. "And  _that's_  our cue. Raise the curtains, Nemu! Our star-crossed lovers are about to be reunited!"

 

+

 

_Hueco Mundo, approximately eight thirty am_

After being cooped up in Harribel's office for a whole goddamned hour, Grimmjow could admit that he was developing a new appreciation for her Fracción. As fucking loud and annoying as they always were, they seriously got their jobs done. Commander Sharkface had told them to get all the top commanders of the newly rebuilt Arrancar army, and they really had done it well – too fucking well, in Grimmjow's opinion.

Harribel had chosen for her and her ladies in waiting – his fond nickname for her fucking annoying Fracción – to occupy Aizen's throne room, which was a ballsy act of defiance that Grimmjow would normally love to get behind. In theory, he was all for it; he digged really hot chicks stickin' it to the man, led by a scary-sexy boss lady who could slice his dick off with nothing more than a look. Brilliant.  _Superb_ , even.

In reality, though, it just wasn't cuttin' it for him. The throne room, as grand and intimidating as it was, didn't really work as a home base. Actually, it's size was the problem – it was too fucking big to get shit done in there. In order for any constructive discussion to actually happen, everyone either had to gather around at the small island near the throne and huddle all together or just stand on the floor far below and hope they were hearing Harribel right.

The situation at hand was pretty dire, so of course Harribel elected to go with the latter. And because she decided to hold the meeting in her office instead of the clearly superior, conveniently set-up board room, Grimmjow and every other fucking member of the executive team were standing around like idiots near the throne, peering over Harribel's tanned shoulders to catch a glimpse of the material she was reviewing.

He had to admit that he was a little curious. Sharkface didn't usually check the books – that was menial labor for her underlings, of course – so to see her puzzling over them like they held the answer for why Hueco Mundo just had what felt like a goddamned earthquake was kinda surprising.

"Nelliel," Harribel said suddenly, looking up into the face of her second-in-command. "You have an exceptional memory for postings. Numeros 35 - Luchadora. Do you know where she is?"

Grimmjow could see the frustration on Nel's face as she shook her head no. Even from his vantage point about six million miles from her, the hard set of her mouth and tense posture were impossible to miss.

"I don't either," said Harribel, leaning back slightly in her throne. "But it's not because we didn't try – I made sure to track down every surviving Arrancar, and no one ever sensed her reiatsu. Had Ulquiorra been here perhaps we would have been able to keep better track, but we all know what happened to him. There's no one as adept with the Pesquisa as he was on our staff currently, but… she shouldn't have been able to slip through the cracks like that."

"Perhaps she's dead," suggested Sung-Sun, lifting her sleeve to her mouth daintily. "After all, there are many Hollows and Arrancar whose bodies were discovered after the conclusion of that dreadful war. It wouldn't be a surprise if hers were one of them."

Harribel frowned. "I would normally be inclined to agree with you," she said, "but this Numeros didn't disappear after the final battle. She apparently went missing around the time when Luppi, Wonderweiss, Grimmjow, Yammy, and Ulquiorra traveled to Karakura Town. These records aren't entirely clear, especially with regard to dates, but… Grimmjow, you were there – was she part of your group?"

Grimmjow, distracted by the sour look on Nel's face during the lull in activity, jerked to attention at the sound of his name. "Sorry, got distracted," he said, grimacing at Harribel's displeased expression. "Uh… Don't think so. But if she's the one I'm thinking of, then she was that bastard Luppi's Fracción. Creep probably killed her before he died, if no one's seen her since – you know the type of guy he was."

Nel nodded in agreement, and said, "I worked with him occasionally when I was Tercero, and he was always unpleasant. Very ambitious, for a Numeros. I know nothing about this other one, though; I was stuck in a child's body when she disappeared." She paused, then said tentatively, "With all due respect, Harribel-sama, why are we talking about a random Numeros? Don't we have bigger things to worry about right now?"

"She – well, if my idea about the earthquake and the fluctuations is correct," said Harribel, lacing her fingers together, "then we have a problem."


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: decides to crosspost  
> also me: forgets about the crosspost and just fucks up
> 
> uhh yeah sorry i totally forgot to post this on ao3! honestly just read it on ffnet (and drop a review bc i want to know your thoughts) for consistency; i only posted here bc i know there are some ao3-only ulquihime fans who might be interested in my #content. you can find me @blackberri there lol!  
> if you don't want to do that then i hope you enjoy this chapter despite it being a week late!

_Seireitei, Soul Society, present. Approximately eight twelve am_

At first, the only thing Orihime could see when the curtains to Mayuri's private laboratory were raised was the wires. They crisscrossed like one giant cobweb, each spindly tube filled with solutions of every color she could think of, and passed through four or five huge machines, eventually coming together at a single point near the back of the lab. They shone in the darkness, illuminating small sections of the large room but leaving the majority of its contents a mystery to Orihime's untrained eye.

She'd never experienced anything on this scale before at the science classes in her small, underfunded highschool back home. Though Mayuri was definitely not the most trustworthy of the Shinigami she'd met, there was no denying that he was a genius, because this – this was  _real_ science.

Mayuri, ignoring Orihime's awestruck gaze, called out, "Lights up, Nemu. It seems that Inoue-san's realization has, ah…  _deactivated_ the specimen's night light."

Nemu's voice came from beyond the lab a few moments later. "Turning them on now, Mayuri-sama."

Just as Nemu finished her sentence, the fluorescent laboratory lights flickered on. Now, Orihime could see everything – the strange scratches on the wall, the dust bunnies lingering in the room's corners. Her gaze swept across the room, finally focusing on the place where the wires coalesced in one large clump. The familiar white figure buried beneath them.

Orihime let out a small whimper of recognition, and almost fell to the ground as her knees buckled out from under her, stopped only by Mayuri's steadying hand on her shoulder. There was no mistaking who lay in the back of the lab, hooked up to the machines Orihime had noticed before, and yet –

"T-t-that's impossible, Kurotsuchi-san," she breathed out, vision dancing with black spots as she tried to pry herself away from his grip. "Y-you – I-I mean, h-he's – I  _saw_  – "

"I did tell you that you helped," said Mayuri gamely, hauling her back up to her feet even as she pawed at his arm. "Orihime Inoue, it is with great gratitude that I present to you our newest and most precocious specimen. Though he's certainly fallen from grace, I'm sure you can still recognize him, right? Ulquiorra-kun does have a pretty distinctive face… right?"

 

_+_

 

_Hueco Mundo, approximately eight thirty am_

"Forgive me, Harribel-sama, but I'm not quite sure I understand. You – are you implying that Luchadora, a Numeros practically everyone in Hueco Mundo forgot about, is responsible for one of the biggest population declines in the history of Hueco Mundo?" said Nel, leaning forwards to scour the papers Harribel was inspecting.

Harribel sighed, and pushed the documents in Nel's direction so she could do her due diligence. "I'm not certain about this, but it's the best explanation I have for the fluctuations," she began, addressing the rest of the Arrancars gathered around her place on the throne. "Luchadora was inconsequential to Aizen because of the limited nature of her ability, but acting on her own, it's perfectly plausible that she could be using it. In these old files Mila Rose located for me, her power – and her release form – is described in pretty precise detail. Nelliel, if you'd be willing?"

Nel looked up, understanding washing over her face, and started to read the file Harribel had given her. "Number 35 is not exceptional material," she said, voice steady despite the anger in her furrowed brows. "Ability – imitation of another's form – is useful, but energy consumption not sustainable, and could affect structural integrity if used in excess. Additionally, tie to original body could create problems. Ability only functional if target does not offer too much resistance and remains living. Release is imitation of another's form and ability, but requires even more energy. Maximum usage is one hour. Potential for support utility is high."

From his position leaning against the wall, Grimmjow frowned, and said, "But what does that have to with the goddamn fluctuations? And also, if Luchawhorea really was alive, why the fuck would she screw  _us_ over?"

Nel placed the papers gingerly back in Harribel's extended hand, and said, "I'm assuming the energy being described here requires a source, so that would explain the Hollows disappearing and by extension the fluctuations. She'd need to eat a massive number of them to sustain her ability for any extended period of time, especially if she were in her released form. No wonder Aizen didn't promote her – he'd never have be able to make so many Arrancars if someone had been guzzling up his Hollow supply." She shook her head in frustration, and turned to Harribel. "I do agree with Grimmjow about one thing, though. Why would she turn against us? If anything, I would assume that she would've wanted to join Hueco Mundo after it was freed from Aizen."

Harribel pursed her lips. "Luppi had a certain reputation for violence," she said seriously, hands laced together in her lap. "It would not surprise me if he exerted that force against some of the inhabitants of Hueco Mundo, and I would be even less surprised if those inhabitants were people who could not fight back – people who were in subservient positions, and who had abilities unsuited for direct combat. You grasp my meaning, I'm sure."

Grimmjow snorted, and said loudly, "That guy was always fucked. Of course he had to be a creep to his Fracción, too, the fucking disgusting prick."

Ignoring him, Nel asked, "But Luppi has been dead even since before Aizen fell out of power, right? So even if that were true, why would she go after us  _now_?"

"I dunno if I can fully answer that, Nelliel-sama, but I can try," said Apacci suddenly from somewhere behind Harribel's throne, causing both Nel and Grimmjow to turn and look at her. "I didn't know this Fraccion specifically, but some others of us resented our masters.

Not me, of course," she explained quickly, "but there were some. If Luchadora broke away from Luppi and escaped during the most violent part of the war, hiding away until it was over, the paranoia and mistrust she already has probably reached its boiling point by now. She's out for all of our blood for making her a servant, most likely – lashing out for vengeance wherever she can find it. That would explain the massive earthquake we just had."

Harribel smiled grimly. "Precisely, Apacci," she said. "If she really is the one who caused the fluctuations and she did so with the intent to harm, she must of course be apprehended and punished immediately. There is also the possibility that she's only sapping energy to sustain her corporeal form, in which case she still must be apprehended and then we will deliberate on what to do with her."

"Either way we need to capture her," said Nel, nodding slowly. "I get it now, Harribel-sama. That was incredible deduction – I would never have even thought of her as a potential suspect."

"Let's all just sit in a circle and hold hands some other time," said Grimmjow, eyeing Nel's starry eyes with disgust. "I only got one question for you, Harribel-sama – how the fuck are we gonna find this chick if she could look like anyone we know?"

Harribel leaned back in her throne and sighed heavily. "Therein lies the problem, Grimmjow. We need to figure out who she wants to impersonate, and we need to know now, or else Hueco Mundo falls before it's even risen."

 

_+_

 

_Karakura Town, Ichigo Kurosaki's house, approximately 9 am_

Rukia Kuchiki wasn't generally prone to worrying, but even she knew that something was going on with Orihime. Though everyone was a little shaken by the recent murders and Orihime was particularly empathetic, her tears and pleading with Urahara had definitely come off as a little much even for her, and her cheerful personality had definitely been a little off kilter recently.

Five minutes went by. No signs of life from within the apartment.

Okay, Rukia was  _definitely_  prone to worrying about her friends, and she was this close to breaking down the door to Orihime's apartment and convincing her to spill her guts if she didn't emerge in the next hour. She'd been cocooned in her house since school had let out yesterday and no one had heard anything from her, which was odd given her propensity for sending really long, really cute texts to all twenty people on her contacts list.

Rukia had never felt that close to Orihime, but she'd always wanted to get to know her a little better. There was something profoundly sweet about her – the way she smiled without reservations, maybe, or the way she faithfully wore her brother's hairpins every single day without fail – that made Rukia want to shield her from harm, tell her everything was going to be alright and leave her out of the messiness of Shinigami life.

That was inevitably going to be an impossibility. When they came back from the war together, battered physically and emotionally, there was something changed about Orihime. A darkness behind her eyes. A pause before she smiled. A sadness that peeked out when she thought no one was looking.

"If you're not going to join me, I'll wait," sighed Rukia, plopping down on the floor to sit next to Orihime's door. "I'll wait for as long as you want me to. I'm sorry that I didn't do that for you before."

 

_+_

 

_Seireitei, Soul Society, present. Approximately eight fifteen am_

The glass was too thick to see his face in the way Orihime wanted to. She couldn't say his name – could barely remember her own – but she knew exactly the way he'd looked at her before he died, eyes full of an emotion she wasn't ready to understand, and she needed to see his face up close to make sure he didn't die like that, asking for something that he wouldn't live to see.

She knew vaguely that there were questions she should be asking, but her mind was too fuzzy to come up with them now. Her senses were overwhelmed with confusion and despair and happiness and surprise in equal measure, beating against her skull in angry ceaseless waves, and she still couldn't see his face and she  _needed_ to, right now.

She tugged hard against Mayuri's grip, and heard him laugh once, sharply, before releasing her. "Go get him, Inoue-san," he said mockingly, eyes trained on her as she lurched forwards towards the lab door. "Some Hikoboshi indeed."

Unsteadily, she knelt at the glass wall like an altar. From this position on her knees she could see the curve of his knobbly spine and the tragic cut of the green tears against his pale skin. He, as he always had been, was emotionless; there was nothing in the lines of his face at all.

"Bring him closer, Nemu," said Mayuri. "Let's let the poor girl see her boyfriend in HD, hmm?"

A whirring sound started up in the background, and then his face was inches from hers, almost pressed up against the wall. The sight of him so close – almost like they were speaking back in her room again, like he was telling her off for her philosophy or bringing her dinner at night – broke the dam within her, and she collapsed, then, tears slipping down her hot cheeks.

Orihime let out a choked sob and pressed her forehead against the glass, bracketing herself in with her sweaty palms curled into fists. "U-Ulquiorra," she cried, body wracked with shivers. "I'm so sorry."


End file.
